


Lost Dog

by SimpleSisypheanTask



Category: Professional Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - High School, And bandages, Angst, Angst and Humor, Asthma, Being a teen is hard, Bisexual Character of Color, Bullying, Canon Character of Color, Character(s) of Color, Child Abuse, Developing Friendships, Drug Dealing, Drug Use, F/M, Female Character of Color, Fluff and Angst, Friendship/Love, Graduation, High School, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, I Don't Even Know, Jon Good Needs a Hug, M/M, Male Character of Color, Meet-Cute, Physical Abuse, Prom, Verbal Abuse, ambrollins - Freeform, i guess, loads of bandages
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-22
Updated: 2016-08-08
Packaged: 2018-07-16 17:01:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 44,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7276411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SimpleSisypheanTask/pseuds/SimpleSisypheanTask
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He was broken when she found him, all beaten and alone. She'd never had a loyal friend in her life. Nursing him back to health, showing him more kindness and overall decency than he'd ever know, that got her a silent promise from him. He would see her again. And after they cross paths again, he finds himself making another promise to the sweet, brown-eyed girl. No matter how far he was, how long it had been, he would always return to her. Return to home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Window

**Author's Note:**

> I first posted this on Wattpad, then decided it needed to be on here as well. I hope you all enjoy! :)

Seeing is believing for most. Visual evidence gives way to the notion that something truly happened. More people are inclined to believe their eyes than the words of others because if you see something, you _know_ it occurred. Gossip is a mess of misunderstandings, interpretations and lies. Clearly, our eyes told the truth. 

Alexandria shared agreement with aspect of this human belief. She believed her eyes. Always. Even as she watched, through her bedroom window, a car speed down her street and make an abrupt stop. One of the rear doors to the gaudy shitbox flung open, a body being pushed out. If she hadn't been watching, Alexandria would have never caught the thump the bloody, dirty figure made against the asphalt. 

Voices cursed loudly, likely at the still body that had been tossed from the vehicle. Alexandria raised her eyebrows, saving some of the things she heard for later use. The epithets were rather impressive. The red car with distasteful red flame designs tore down the street, away from the scene. 

Although she didn't know much about what one would do when disposing of a victim, Alexandria knew it was dumb to deposit a white person in the middle of the day, in a predominantly black neighborhood no less. It was evident the attackers of the discarded person - _man?_ \- weren't very bright. Common thugs who only knew how to injure and intimidate, it seemed. If the drove four more blocks, the white person wouldn't look very strange, but in a neighborhood with black, Hispanic and Asian residents only, the bloody body stuck out even more. 

For a few minutes, all Alex did was stare out the window, her slender brown hand holding her favorite novel in a tight grip. _November Blues_ by Sharon M. Draper was part of a series that Alex couldn't get enough of. The main character of this story was a pregnant teen, desperate to figure out what to do considering the father of her child wouldn't be around to help because of events in the book proceeding this one. It was a heartrending tale, Alex would say. One could never get tired of a tearjerker. 

Without looking, and without much reason, Alex turned a page. It was as if she feared the half-dead person just a few yards from her front door was able to see her and she was covering up her staring by pretending to be engulfed in her novel. How foolish. If she were really reading, her wide brown eyes wouldn't be looking in the body's direction, nor would her mouth be agape in horror. 

_Fuck_ , Alex thought to herself in rapidly growing panic. Growing up as a semi-religious Christian girl, she knew what she had to do. Alex closed her book without marking her page - she knew the story well enough to find it again later. _They better not blame this crap on me..._

Alex threw open her bedroom door, her heart racing. She didn't dwell on why. As long as the adrenaline rush was fueling her, she'd be able to keep her courage and deal with this mess. Faintly, the thought of using the hidden strength adrenaline gives to pull what looked like a tall man - _or woman_ \- into her home was for the best. It would be a struggle without it. Plus, with her having asthma, this was going to have her wheezing for a while. 

Alex warily glanced around her street. It was inactive as usual. All her neighbors were adults with jobs, and spring break made her lonely as hell. Her friends all had lives of their own, and though they all were tight at school and hung out after, they kept to themselves during vacations. Absence made the heart grow fonder and all that jazz. 

With as much caution as a nearly eighteen year old woman could muster up, Alex approached the body. The face she made at the gory look of the man - _yeah, that's a dude, I guess_ \- was certainly not worthy of the front cover of Vogue. Her lips pulled back from her teeth in a grimace, wide eyes framed by long, thick lashes squinting to see as little as possible. Her nose scrunched up in what her mother would always deem an adorable fashion. Alex knew that altogether, with her face and worn and faded pajamas, she didn't look like she was winning any beauty pageants today.

At least her braids were freshly done. 

"Ew, _gross!_ " Alex couldn't help but whine as she noticed that the now shivering body was bleeding from a cut on their shoulder. Seeing an open wound up close like this turned her stomach, and it was the exact reason why she knew she wouldn't be cut out as a doctor. The rest of the blood came from smaller cuts randomly scattered around his body. They stained his dirty, holey dark blue jeans and his gray plaid shirt. Some blood that pooled by his head got into his hair, matting it to either his face or the ground. He was on his back, and that allowed her to see the squirrel-like cheeks, deep-set blue eye - one was swollen shut - and mouth dribbling blood. 

"Uh, guy? Hey, pal...?" She waited for him to acknowledge her, wary of the fact that he could lash out. Who knows why this damn kid-man-person was beaten in the first place? He could be dangerous and guilty of something. _And here I am trying to help the poor bastard..._ "Can you move?" 

He responded, finally, with a low and pained groan. Alex's ugly expression of empathy became even more terrible. His teeth were stained red, as if he'd dyed them to resemble the red beans she'd eaten for dinner last night. "Ow..." That was an appropriate reaction, Alex would guess. She herself was in pain just by looking at him. Alex hated looking at the injured, phantom pains of her own appearing. 

Alex glanced around her street again. It was 12:48 on a Monday. She was safe to drag the person inside her house. 

_But first -_ "Gotta go lay some towels down. Mummy would kill me if I stained the floor, and Daddy would be pissed I brought a boy inside without permission," she explained to the body. It wasn't like the person heard her, or even cared if he did, so she had no reason to feel embarrassed about the actions of her parents. 

~*~*~*~*~

"Yuck. Why do people bleed so much? O-Oh, _gross!_ That was _skin_ , dude! I just touched a piece of hanging skin flap! I should call an ambulance... But you could be a gang member, and I'm not ruining my chances of getting into college 'cause of you! They'd assume I'm affiliated..." 

And so on and so forth, Alex ranted. She was doing a grand job at patching up the unknown man - _it's a dude. He totally growls in pain like one_ \- but that didn't mean that she did it without complaining. After all, how dare he just get into trouble, land his ass on her doorstep and have the nerve to make her be a Good Samaritan? Who does that?!

With a final bit of stitching - which was done with guesswork and the idea that stitches for clothes and bodies were virtually the same - Alex was done. She looked over her work with an exhausted sense of pride. _Fuck it, I'mma be a doctor. I could do this shit. Easy._

A glance at her hands, and she noticed the blood caked under her short nails, drying on the skin of her palms. Some was even speckled on her arms. The rusty color it was taking on and the sticky feel made her gag. 

Alex tore out of her bedroom, tripping on towels on the way down the hall and to the bathroom. She kicked open the lid to the toilet just as she began dry-heaving. A bit of foamy stuff came out, reminding her that her habit of eating one giant meal a day during vacation wasn't good. While still on her knees, Alex moved over to the sink, reaching carefully with her fingertips to turn on the tap and get hot water flowing. She washed the red away before getting to her feet and using soap, turning on the cold tap to make the water warm. When finished, she grabbed the bottle of hand sanitizer kept in the bathroom and used that too, her ugly grimace back again. 

_Never mind. Office job it is..._

Trailing back into her room, Alex was floored at the doorway. Her lilac and white schemed room looked almost offensively innocent in comparison to the person sprawled across her bed. 

He looked so...so grunge. Was that the word for it? No, he was gritty. _Yeah, gritty_. That was the perfect word to describe him. 

"W-Where the fuck am I?" His words were croaked, slurring slightly as if his tongue were thick in his mouth. He grunted and groaned, trying to sit up in vain. Alex was right at her bedside in an instant, pushing him down a little more roughly than she should have. She worried the stitches would open and she would have to start over on him. 

"My house," Alex answered him, a little unnerved by his ability to be so coherent right now. "You're at my house."

"Great," he remarked offhandedly. A lopsided smirk tried to stretch across his face, but his busted lip prevented it. "Ow." 

"I know it must hurt. I can give you some pills if- " 

"No! I got into this shit with pills, I ain't taking no more," he snarled, his lips pulling back to reveal those bloodstained teeth. Alex was reminded by the sight of a wild, rabid dog. It made her back away in fear. 

"O-Okay." _Gee, don't go pouring your problems out to me. I've already dealt with enough of your drama._ "Want...some food?" It was the best she could offer. She didn't know what else to do. 

The guy turned his head her way for the first time, a clear blue eye analyzing her for a few long seconds. "Whatcha got?" 

"Some leftover meatloaf, white rice and red beans. There is cornbread, too." Alex shrugged her shoulders, feeling a little hungry herself. She deserved a good meal after saving a life, doing heavy lifting and risking her safety for a stranger. "I can fix you a plate, ya know, if you want."

"Yeah." 

Alex tried to calmly walk down the stairs, all the while thinking of what she would say to her parents when they got home.


	2. The Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon is straightforward and demanding. Alex is...well, _not._

His manners appeared to be utterly nonexistent. He ate with his mouth open, showing her the contents of his meal. Every once in a while, between chews and wiping his mouth on the sleeve of his already dirtied shirt, he'd wince at the throbbing pain in his shoulder or the feel of the flannel rubbing against his swollen bottom lip too roughly. His memory must have been shoddy at best, for he continued his grotesque pattern. Chew, swallow, sip some water, wipe, ignore Alex and repeat. 

Alex couldn't bring herself to watch him any longer, so she turned on her television. If he randomly attacked her while she watched her recordings of _Breaking Bad_ , so be it. He ate like an animal! 

On the other hand, Jon felt her sudden interest in the television a bit offensive. He'd expected her to be a good little host, put on a fake smile and make conversation. Yet, she hadn't opened her damn mouth once since she asked if he was hungry. What kind of chick does that? Shouldn't she be telling him that as soon as he's done, he's gotta hit the bricks and never come back? He could be dangerous for all she knows! 

_Fucking idiot_ , he thought to himself, _She's gonna get herself killed if she ain't careful_. The thought of the nameless girl being injured was one she didn't particularly like. She looked too damn pretty to be matching him in the bruising and cuts department. Her skin was a dark brown, like milk chocolate or coffee with a bit of cream in it. Her eyes were wide, bright and happy brown eyes. Jon would be his last dollar that even when angry, she looked like a ray of sunshine. Lastly, her lips were full, pulled down into a slight frown as she concentrated on the screen in front of her bed. 

Seeing as how she'd angled her body slightly away from him as she sat on the end of her bed, she didn't notice his observing stare. Jon wanted to snort at that. He noticed her staring. She wasn't a discreet girl. In fact, she was a little too open. Her face was expressive and he knew that she was put off by the way he wolfed down his meal. He couldn't help it though - he hadn't eaten in two days and this was the best damn cooking in his life! 

_Her mom probably made it for her_ , he thought with faint jealousy, _'Cause normal mom's do that type of stuff._

Alex snickered as Walter White gave Jesse Pinkman a glare for calling Hank a bitch as they dodged the DEA officer's attempt to get dirt on Pinkman. She hadn't ever gotten to watch _Breaking Bad_ because she didn't have Netflix back when that was the only thing it was shown on, but she found herself liking it. The humor was dark at times, and that cracked her up, but it could also be touching. This was her type of show. She would enjoy it a bit more if the vagabond - no, _squatter_ \- would quit growling under his breath to himself. He was making her go on edge. 

" _The hell is so great about this show anyway...?_ " He hadn't even bothered to keep his words indecipherable that time. 

Alex turned her head to glare at him, flicking her braids with shells on the end behind her shoulder. "I like it." That was all that mattered to her. Why did the show bother him? _Too close to home, pal?_

"Sucks." _Old bastard wouldn't know how to sell and that skinny punk ain't nothing. He'd never carry any weight in the business._ "Not realistic enough."

If anything, his grumblings sounded like cries for attention to Alex. "Okay, then what do _you_ want to watch." 

"Well, it ain't 8:00 o'clock, so we can't watch _Raw._ "

Alex rolled her eyes. Her next door neighbor, Joe Anoa'i. He watched wrestling and whenever the nineteen year old spoke it was, "The Undertaker dominates over everyone as the greatest legend in history!" Or "I'm gonna be a wrestler, too!" Alex knew Joe's dad worked as a wrestler before, but Joe's mother was pissed with the idea of her baby boy getting into the business. Alex always had to hear his mother rant on and on about it, as if Alex were supposed to do something to help sway the dude from his dream. Although she was known for being someone who gave great advice as an unrelated third party, Alex felt pressured by many people on her street to handle their problems and always be on somebody's side. She was secretly on Joe's side, hoping he got up the nerve to leave home and do what he wanted. 

Wrestling brought up Alex's exasperation with people who confined a person to one destiny. She avoided watching it because she didn't like to think of those things. A person's fate was their own. 

"Why're you rolling your eyes at me? You got a problem?" 

People of hostility weren't her favorite to deal with, and boy did this guy have a lot of it. "No. I just thought of something... It doesn't matter. Um, what about... You like cartoons?" As soon as she asked, she wanted to take it back. _How childish can you sound, stupid? What the hell?_

Surprisingly enough, he laughed. "Yeah, you think they still show reruns of _The Looney Tunes_?" 

It was weird, the tango Alex did between her fear, disdain and embarrassment around the guy. As she turned to _Cartoon Network_ they seemed to be in luck. Jon went back to chomping noisily on his food and making animal sounds, and Alex pretended to not be afraid of him. 

~*~*~*~*~

Ten minutes later, Jon was pissed off again. She hadn't looked at him since she changed the channel, and that was just unacceptable. He didn't know why, but having gotten a glimpse of those pretty brown eyes as the first thing he saw when he regained consciousness did something to him. She looked so sweet standing over him, the sun's rays behind her making a halo just above her dark braided hair. 

Alex finished her food and turned to ask if she could take her unnamed patient if he was done as well, but noticed his sneering expression. "What?" Alex asked, once again disdainful. 

He stared at the flat-screen television in her room. It looked nothing like the ancient one back in his room. "So, you're like well off, right?"

That was unexpected. She shot Jon a curious glance from the corner of her eye. "Not really. Both my parents work, but they aren't, like, big-time successes. They work in an office, crunching numbers and filing stuff. I don't know - but it's not anything that brings in the big bucks." Alex shrugged her shoulders, scratching her temple in thought. A thought came to her. "What's your name?"

"What? Oh, yeah. I never told ya... I'm Jon Good. You?" He looked at her with his baby blue eyes almost 

It felt like the first day of school. "Alex." 

"I gave you my last name."

"And?" _I'm not being too friendly with a possible thug. That ain't the plan._ "I don't owe you anything."

Jon snorted loudly at that. "I didn't ask you for nothing big, Lexi." Alex flinched at the nickname. "I just wanted to know my knight in shining armour's name." He began to laugh at his own joke, but the pain all over his body seemed to flare up at the movement. He groaned. _Damn_ , he was worse than he thought.

Alex's eyes widened as she saw the look of frustration and pain on Jon's face. He seemed to be pissed with himself for not gritting his teeth and bearing the pain without a sound. "You okay?!" she asked with deep concern on her face, springing up from her spot in her bed. She rushed over to him, her hands hovering over his body but not knowing what to do. The best she could do was wrap up his wounds, and that was already done. What if he had internal damage? 

"I'm fine!" Jon snapped, baring his teeth like a rabid dog again. He swatted at hers, trying to get the young girl away from him. He was afraid of what pain would come if she tried messing with his wounds while he was awake. "Just - _fuck_ , don't touch me!" 

Alex backed away. What was she supposed to do? This stranger was injured, and in a normal situation, she would have no trouble helping. Now, well, she wasn't sure. What does one do with a maybe-criminal that is obviously hated by real criminals? 

Jon looked at her retreating form, a bit of regret rising in him. "Sorry," he mumbled almost in a sheepish manner, lips pursing. That was a tone he usually saved for his mother when she was feeling clingy and needed him to miss another three days of school and take care of her. He only spared it for her because she was always coming down from a high after scrounging up enough money. The withdrawal made her weak and achy. He couldn't leave her to fend for herself. 

"I - It's fine. It's whatever." The flippant wave of her shaky hand made him believe she didn't think it was whatever. He hurt her feelings.

Jon looked down at his lap, remembering his now empty plate. "Uh, where's the sink?" _The least I can do is just get my mess cleaned up and back out of her life as fast as possible._

"Downstairs. I'll take that for you." Alex was quick in her movements. She took the plate without touching Jon, unsure of how the innocent mishap would be taken, and went out the door within seconds. 

_Downstairs? How big is this damn house?_ He looked around the room, a little jealous of how large it was. But then he noticed the sparseness. She didn't have any posters of male models or teen idols up on the walls. There wasn't a horde of stuffed animals on the overstuffed dark purple bookshelf of hers. A hundred pairs of shoes couldn't be seen in the open closet of hers - just a whole bunch of black or grey clothes. He wondered if she had any clothes that weren't those two colors in her drawers. On one wall, a string of pink lights hung up, right over a glass stand encasing awards. Jon looked to the doorway, checking to see if the coast was clear, before standing and creeping over to the stand. 

Academic awards. All academic awards. Jesus, did I land myself in the house of Albert Einstein? Jon backed away, a little intimidated. When was the last time he showed up for class? Four, five days?

Jon felt a sudden wave of shame in his gut. He hated that he got an obviously good kid into his shit. He couldn't even keep his drama to himself these days, it seemed. That kid didn't deserve to stress about keeping someone who was barely living anyways alive. _Can I be any bigger of a damn screw-up?_

"So, um..."

Jon spun around as quickly as he could with his injuries. Alex was standing awkwardly in the doorway. Her nails, he noticed as her hands fiddled with the hem of her oversized light blue shirt (she did wear colors!), we're tipped with red polish. He liked it. But he didn't like the look on her face as she avoided turning to him fully. " _What?_ " Damn. He snapped at her again. 

"My mom's going to be home in about ten or twenty minutes. I don't want to kick you out, but I'm going to be in major trouble for letting you stay." Alex bit her lip, eyes dropping to the floor. Never had she felt like such an asshole before. "I'm so sorry."

Jon scoffed, not meaning to sound derisive, but still causing Alex to flinch. "It's fine. It's whatever," he said, feeling oddly hurt by her clear dismissal of his presence in her home. It didn't matter, though, for he had a full meal in his belly and freshly bandaged wounds. He'd be fine. He survived worse. 

It was just...he wanted more for once. Scraping him up off the pavement and feeding him should have had this unmoved girl feeling something. 

Jon allowed Alex to lead him to the door, each step reminding himself that he was wrong for thinking she owed him more than what she already gave. She did more than anyone's ever done for him, and he wouldn't forget that. 

He lied to her earlier. He owed her a lot. Jonathan Good pays his debts.

As Jon stepped through her front door, he turned to Alex. She looked like a kicked puppy. How hadn't he noticed? She was as put out about turning him away as he was about it. "Bye, Lexi," he began, a small smirk fighting its way on his face, "I'll see you at school."

"Bye - Wait, what? You go to my school?" 

Jon didn't answer, sauntering off and knowing she would be thinking about him for a while. Perfect. That was just what he wanted. He sure wasn't going to forget about her any time soon.


	3. The Confusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> School is probably the worst place to have someone your dreading to see pop up. Math class is an even worse place for that person to distract you.

Alex flinched when her friend Elsie swung their locker door open with too much force, almost hitting them both in the face. According to school rules, they shouldn't have been sharing a locker, but Elsie was graced with one that took the help of three people to pry it open. Feeling as if she had to help out and having much extra space she wasn't using, Alex asked if her friend wanted to share with her. 

Now, the pair were finding that as the year progressed, it was becoming increasingly difficult to stuff their thick textbooks, notebooks and jackets inside the joint locker. Thus, the locker got caught on the items inside and was mimicking Elsie's old locker most days, refusing to open without a little struggle. 

As Elsie took her Anatomy binder from the locker, Alex reached over the shorter brunette and grabbed her Pre-Calculus notebook and textbook. The pair huffed sighs of relief when no other items tumbled from the confines of the ugly yellow painted metal box. They weren't in the mood to clean up scattered papers today. The two gave each other nods before parting ways and heading to their respective classes as quickly as they could. The break between classes was only five minutes, and Elsie needed to get to a different building on campus while Alex needed to fight her way through the crowd of freshmen who loitered the halls. There was no time to dawdle. 

Alexandria's head was on a swivel, looking around for a shaggy mop of brownish-red - _auburn?_ \- hair. She'd been on the lookout for her former patient ever since school started. It was Tuesday now. A full week and a day since the incident where she found herself taking care of a person in a way she never had before. In full honesty, Alex worried the guy managed to get himself killed. With the mood swings he exhibited, she knew that he must be going through some shit that messed him up. It worried her.

Being empathetic was a real bitch sometimes. 

Before long, Alex arrived at her math class. She strode in, taking her seat up front as quickly as she could. Considering the fact that she was terrible at math and her grade the previous term was absolutely terrible by her standards, Alex was determined to actually learn _something_ before senior year was over. She was going to take spectacular notes, ace the last two terms and focus like she never had before. 

Unfortunately, fate had other ideas. 

"'Sup?" 

Alex jumped in her seat at the unexpected voice right in her ear. She turned to her left and saw a pair of gorgeous blue eyes staring intently right back at her. Jon, proud of the reaction he got, leaned back and plopped himself down into the seat of another student. Alex was sure their unfortunate classmate, who just walked in, wasn't going to challenge Jon for the chair. She was proved right when the kid swerved and practically ran to the back of the class to get away from Jon's glare thrown his way. _Punk_ , Alex thought bitterly, _Take back what's yours!_

Jon looked Alex up and down with a smug grin, appraising her attire. She wore a pair of black slacks, a thin grey shirt under a blue cardigan and black riding boots on her feet. Diamond earrings - real, too - we're in her ears, and he remembered when his mother used to wear those kind of earrings, back before she sold them to get another fix. Alex's braids made a clinking sound as the shells on the ends smacked together, reminding him of how they tickled a bit when she'd worked on stitching him up. Had he any strength back then, he would have reached up to inspect the tiny shells. Even now, his hands itched to fiddle with he pretty hair ornaments. 

"Hey," he greeted her once more, a bit lamely this time, unsure how to start conversation. It wasn't like they ever talked before. Not in school, at least. Hell, from her frightened reaction just moments ago, she hadn't even known he was in the same damn math class as her. He almost forgot who she was too, but he didn't, and that was important. Somewhere, in his subconscious, he filed her face away in his memory for a reason. Jon forgot people if they didn't matter, but he didn't forget her. 

He was going to figure out why his saviour had been on his mind for the past week. It bugged him twenty-four-seven. 

" _Hey,_ " she answered back just as unsure and even a bit indignantly. "So, uh, you're in my Pre-Calc class?" she asked, tilting her head to the side and mechanically opening her textbook to a random page as the teacher made her way to the front of the board. Alex kept her eyes on him, cautious and tense, just as she should be. 

"What made you think that, Doctor Lexi?" He smiled wider as she rolled her eyes. There she goes again, flip-flopping from scared to bold in an instant. 

The burn of embarrassment for stating the obvious made Alex squirm in her seat. _This guy is a real dick... He either snaps at me or has me feeling dumb._ What did it matter though? Alex was still finding herself eager to hear his story, find out why he had to be dropped off in a bloody heap right in front of her house. Anyone would be curious about this. It was simply something that didn't happen. "I was just asking a question. I never noticed you, man. All I was trying to do was talk," she muttered, turning her head away so that he couldn't see the flash of insecurity on her face. "Never mind..."

Jon felt like a dick. He hoped that she didn't think of him as one though. She was his saviour who didn't have any obligations to take care of him the way she did. He was supposed to try and do right by her somehow, pay her back and show her he appreciated the one light in his life. He hadn't had someone take care of his wounds in forever. Usually, he was left alone to lick at 'em like a dog, lonely and broken. Her breaking the pattern did something to him, something that warmed his body from his head to his toes. He wanted to feel cared for again. Maybe she could help? 

It was nerve-wracking, really, the way she felt his stare as class continued on. The teacher avoided eye contact in Alex's direction for the whole hour. Most days, Alex had trouble avoiding the teacher and getting called on. It was like Ms. Queen did it today because she noticed the class failure was close by her favorite student to torture. What was the deal with everyone trying to avoid Jon? He didn't have the plague or anything. Did he just naturally emit bad vibes that made every kid, adult and other turn tail and run? 

Alex already knew the answer to that. She was becoming yet another person in the world who was trying to evade his unsettling presence. Her nose was buried in her textbook as she read over examples and took notes on vocabulary and methods like the teacher instructed. The other two people at her table never looked her way, not even cracking jokes with her like they did on average days. The kids at Jon's table slid over to the far side, avoiding as much contact as they could. 

Jon was scaring the students around him with his new seating arrangement. The poor kids were afraid to catch the eye of the tall, gruff looking kid in dirty jeans and a worn black t-shirt. The heavy boots on his feet were propped up on the desk, crossed at the ankles. The utter look of disdain when he would glance at whatever the teacher wrote on the board paled in comparison to the intense looks he kept shooting over at Alex. 

Class continued on, everyone to the left side - Jon's side - tense and quiet. They were waiting for the moment when Jon would disrupt the class, or for him to decide that learning was for the birds and leave. It would make more sense then whatever the fuck he was doing right now. 

A bell rang. Jon looked up lazily from examining Alex's profile, hoping it was lunch. When no one moved, he sighed heavily. It was just the bell signaling that first lunch was over. _That's right. I do have second lunch, don't I? Shit, I gotta come to class more or something._ He hefted his feet from the desk, feeling the prickles of blood flowing regularly in them again. 

_Damn_ , Alex cursed, _There's still 30 more minutes of class._ Time was dragging more than usual today. Alex wished it was lunch already so she could jet from the class and hide in her crowd of friends in the cafeteria. Jon's stare was making her skin tingle. It was irritating and uncomfortable. The sensation needed to be ended, _fast._

"What the fuck is that?" Jon mumbled, looking at the graph the teacher drew and list of asymptotes beside it. What did he miss while gone? Weren't they just on trigonometric functions? 

Yeah, he definitely needed to come to school more. 

More time passed and Jon progressed from staring at the whiteboard in confusion to staring at the way Alex concentrated on scribbling down her notes. Curious, Jon leaned in close to her table, reading her messy and small handwriting. It seemed that _she_ knew what was going on. All the example problems she started were completed, answered circled like good little students do. 

Figures she's good at this crap. Ain't no flaws about her. 

Meanwhile, Alex was rigid, afraid of the sudden closeness Jon made. Why was he looking at her notebook? He didn't even have any paper out to copy anything! What was this guy's deal? 

The bell rang again. Alex didn't waste time putting her stuff in her bag. Instead, she gathered everything in her arms, slung her black and white backpack over one shoulder and made quick strides for the door. She exited the classroom just as quickly as she entered, heart racing. 

Jon's blue eyes watched her, a little confused. She left so fast. Looking around, he noticed many of the other kids were also quick to pack up and leave. Perhaps Doctor Lexi was just eager to be first in the lunch line? Cool. He'd cut the line to join her. 

~*~*~*~*~

"You okay, Alexandria?" 

Alex jumped for the second time that day at the sudden voice in her ear. She whipped her head around, looking up to see her friend, Colby Lopez, there. Colby backed away a bit as he was hit by a few of the shells on her braids. "Sorry! U-Uh, yeah, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"Well, you've been shuffling from foot to foot and haven't moved forward. You're holding up the line, you know, Alexandria." He shrugged his shoulders and adjusted his glasses on his face. Although Colby wasn't the closest with Alexandria, he wanted to be. She seemed cool, just a little distant. It was like she was unsure where having close friends would get her - much like a person who'd been burned in the past by "friends." It was unsettling to face, so he kept his distance like she wanted. 

"Oh! Sorry!" she apologized again, taking a couple steps forward. She peered through the sneeze-guard glass and inspected what was for lunch. Slop that vaguely resembled mac and cheese, something that looked a little like chicken - or beef - and, thankfully, Caesar salads. Alex snatched one of the salads up along with some pita bread and two tiny cups of ranch dressing. She continued through the line, now up to pace with the people who were ahead of her. 

Colby copied her, aware of the risk of taking any of the other food, and tried to start conversation again. "You sure you're - "

"Aw, Doc, ya shouldn't have!" 

_Who the hell is he?_ Colby thought as he looked at the shaggy haired boy who suddenly cut him in line and took Alexandria's tray from her hands. The girl stared up at the unknown dude with a scowl, clearly unhappy. "Give it back!" she whispered harshly, teeth clenched and reaching for her stolen tray.

The boy laughed and handed it back without much fuss. He peered _around_ Colby's body and took a gander at his meal options. With a snort, he shook his head. "I ain't eating that crap no way." He started to whistle as Alexandria waited for a crowd of kids who were paying for their meal to be done so she could do the same. 

Colby opened his mouth, and words poured out before he could stop himself. "It's deadly. No one is gonna eat it." _Ah, fuck, I hope he doesn't punch me. I don't want there to be a scene. Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck!_

The boy turned slowly, blue eyes meeting Colby's brown eyes. For what felt like an eternity, the pair stared at each other. Colby waited to be snapped at by the mean looking student. He was faintly surprised to hear the kid ask, "How much is the salad?"

"The usual. $2.50." _Can he afford it? He looks a little lanky... Does he even get to eat often? ___

"Hmm."

"I'll get you one if you promise to stop scaring the shit out of me every five seconds," Alex grumbled loudly enough for both boys to turn their attention to her. "I don't enjoy it."

"Deal."

Colby handed the boy a salad, pita bread and a pear the boy pointed at. "So, what your name? I'm Colby."

"Jon."

"And I'm Alex. Now that everyone knows each other, let's get the fuck out of line. People are staring at us!" The girl huffed, muttering under her breath. As Alex paid for her lunch and Jon's, the two young men gave each other amused looks. 

"Don't mind that. She gets a little snappy sometimes," Colby told Jon. "After a while, it starts to sound normal and even sweet." 

Jon nodded, following closely behind Alex as she went out of the line and tried to find where the rest of her usual group of friends were in the chaotic mess of the high school cafeteria. "Yeah, I know."

With a little nod and a chuckle, Colby handed over his money to a waiting lunch lady before joining the pair. Alex led them into a corner of the cafeteria where a rowdy bunch of arguing students sat. It was an argument about a book most of them had to read for English class, and Colby definitely didn't want to join in on that. Instead, he dug into his meal, Alexandria and Jon sitting across from him. Jon watched in amusement as he saw the debate amongst the nerds escalate. 

It wasn't until a few minutes later where Jon's words finally sunk in for Colby and had him absolutely puzzled about the seemingly new relationship between Jon and Alex. _How the hell does he know her better than I do?_


	4. The Hangout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Just some teens bonding over pizza and LIES.

"Hello, Ms. Kingston. Is Alex home yet?" Joe Anoa'i asked as he stood on the front porch of the Kingston home. He just wanted to check on his neighbor. She'd been acting a little weird lately, looking over her shoulder whenever she went to go get the mail or jumping when he would call out good morning to her as he helped his mother in her garden. 

Joe just wanted to know his little buddy was all right. Alex was a good person, and if something was bothering her, it bothered Joe. 

Unfortunately, Alex's mother was a different type of person entirely in comparison to her daughter. She was a shrewd woman who stood at five-foot-nine, an inch shorter than her daughter, a permanent scowl etched on her face as she looked Joe up and down. Her black pencil skirt and white blouse only made her more intimidating for Joe, an eighteen-year-old high school grad that was the size of a professional football player. He was wearing a dirty black tank top and jeans thanks to the rough housing he did with his cousins just an hour earlier. 

"What do you want with her?"

"J-Just to talk. I... She's my friend, and she usually gets home around this time, but I didn't see her walk down the street."

Mrs. Kingston 'hmph'ed. pursing her lips. Her dark brown eyes narrowed slightly, letting Joe know that she didn't believe a word he said. It was routine, really, considering the fact that every time Alex was late coming home and Joe wanted to talk to her or make sure she was okay, her mother would be the one to answer the door and give him the third-degree. 

"Is Alex home?"

"No, and if you were her _real_ friend, you would know why."

Joe didn't bother to explain that Alex was really careful about who she gave her number to. He didn't want to do something stupid after the explanation, something like ask why the hell the teen was so guarded and paranoid. It was a trait she got from her mother, _clearly._ "Why isn't she home?"

"She called me half an hour ago about going to the library with some friends of hers."

"Oh." _Alex doesn't even like the fucking library - she'd rather stab herself with a rusty nail than go there._ Joe wasn't going to voice this out loud. Mrs. Kingston was likely to go off on him about how she knew her child and how he didn't even have her number, so how would he know? It wasn't worth the effort. It was obvious to Joe that Alex was probably at _Slater & Young's Southern Delights or Santino's Pizzeria._ Those were the hangout spots around town, and Alex usually went there when avoiding her parents. 

Joe didn't blame her. 

"Thanks, Mrs. Kingston." Joe began to back away from the steps, careful not to make any sudden movements. 

"Yeah, whatever," he got in reply. "And tell your mother to return my damn leaf-blower, Joseph! I paid good money for it!"

~*~*~*~*~

"You ain't eatin'?" Jon asked, shoving his face with a large slice of pizza. The sight reminded Alex of her first encounter with the young man, and the familiar bubbling of disgust in her gut appeared once more. "'S good!" He offered her a bite of his pizza. In all honest, the slice was just how she liked it - cheesy, thin crust and topped with sausage. Perfect. 

But there was no way she was eating anything after seeing Jon chew with his mouth open. All of the mushy contents made what looked appetizing seem utterly revolting. No chance in hell.

"I'm fine. Just...eat, man." 

Colby chuckled at the pair, dipping his buffalo wings into a container of blue cheese. It was his bright idea to take both Jon and Alex to Santino's in order to figure out how the pair got so close, and so far, he was loving his genius mind. Alex finally admitted to him she didn't like being called by her full name, and Jon let it slip about meeting Alex over vacation. All Colby needed was just a few more details.

"So, how'd you two meet?" the two-toned boy asked, keeping his expression neutral. "I met Alex during orientation the summer before ninth grade. She nearly killed me when we were touring around the school. She tripped, grabbed my arm and dragged me with her."

"Thanks, Colbs... When I push your ass down a flight of steps, you'll be sorry." She hoped that he choked on a chicken bone for embarrassing her. 

Jon blinked slowly, looking between Alex and Colby. He didn't know if Alex was joking or if she was serious - 'cause if she was serious, he'd fuck Colby up for her. But, kids his age joked about violence more often than actually resorting to it, right? 

As if sensing the sudden change in Jon's demeanor, Alex quickly made up an answer for Colby. "I was getting the mail one day during vacation, and he was lost. I gave him directions and after a bit of talking, he and I found out we went to the same school -" It took all Alex had not to growl that part accusingly, remembering how Jon let her know so flippantly about that. "- That was cool, so we promised to keep in touch." _Don't snort, don't snort, don't snort_ , Alex silently willed, glancing at Jon. He was barely keeping it together. 

With a sigh, Alex wrapped up her vague but sufficient story. "And you know the rest, I guess." She shrugged her shoulders, picking up one of the napkins piled up in the middle of the table and shredding it into tiny pieces. Lying to friends wasn't high on her list of To-Do's, but with Jon sticking to her side, it seemed like it was going to be far more common.

"Oh." _Weird._ "So how's the new friendship working out?" Colby asked, smirking. They seemed close enough, if the banter was anything to go by, so Colby figured it wouldn't be too bold of him to ask a question that would put distance between people who were more estranged. 

Both Colby and Alex were assaulted by the sudden belch Jon let out. "Great!" the shaggy haired, blue eyed menace exclaimed proudly. "Two peas in a pod, Colbs. Practically attached at the hip. _So close._ " The bright grin flashed Alex's way was so sincere that Alex felt herself smiling back without thinking. 

_Okay, he's not that bad. Just needs some lessons in manners._ "Yeah. We're cool. It's nice making a new friend."

Colby nodded. "We should all hang out more then." The other two nodded in agreement, knowing there was no way to weasel out of it without seeming suspicious. Yeah, why not? What was the worse that could happen if they hung out with each other often? 

Oh, just the fact that whatever dangers were following behind Jon could extend to Colby and Alex. Maybe, if they were so blessed, Jon and Colby could both show up outside of her house, bleeding and on the verge of death, and Alex could patch them up. Then they could awkwardly sit around eating dinner and having clipped conversation with one another! Yay, good ol' bonding time! 

"Alex!"

All three people turned at the sound of the voice of a person not at their table. Their gazes locked onto the tall young man who stood at the doorway of _Santino's_ , unknowingly blocking the path of a family consisting of a Hispanic woman, a white man and an adorable baby being held by the man. They made protests, and the young man quickly jumped out of the way, politely apologizing for his mistake. 

He wore casual clothes that had some grass stains on them, like he'd been rolling on someone's front lawn all day. His hair was long, flowing down past his shoulders in soft waves that moved with the gusts of wind that were starting to pick up as the sun went down. Grey eyes were looking right back at Alex, equal parts annoyed and relieved. 

"I've been looking for you all day!" Joe huffed as he made his way over to the trio. Although built like a skyscraper, he moved with an easy grace of a man who was not only confident in himself, but also sure no one would mess with him. The grey-eyed giant gave a friendly nod to Colby, a person he knew Alex went to school with, and a nod to Jon, a stranger to him. "Hey, y'all. What's up?"

"Nothing," Alex answered, a bit too quickly. 

Colby raised his eyebrows, but said nothing to the girl. Jon, however, felt a little threatened by the presence of the dude who clearly knew Alex - enough so that he scooted closer to her in their shared seat in the booth. He threw his arm behind Alex, trying to make the gesture as casual as possible while he eyed Joe. 

When the boy did nothing in particular that made him seem jealous, Jon decided to make a good impression on the new guy. He must have been just a friend to Alex, 'cause nobody with a good pair of eyes and a brain would let a beauty like her slip between their fingers. "We were talking about friendship and pushing people down stairs," he said, grinning when Alex rolled her eyes. "Normal stuff." _Ya wouldn't know normal if it suplexed you off the Empire State, stupid..._

"Really?" Joe grinned back at Jon. "Why do I have a feeling Alex is the one who wants to push people down the stairs?"

"I am," Alex admitted at the same time Jon and Colby said, "She is."

"Knew it."

" _Why_ are you here?" 

Joe certainly detected saltiness in her tone. "You've just been distant lately. I haven't seen you out and about, wandering the neighborhood and getting pulled into everyone else's drama. That's rare as hell. I've just been worried about you... _you ungrateful brat._ " 

Alex heaved a sigh, pretended to be offended by Joe's playful insult. "I'm fine, I promise. I've just... Well, this is Jon." She pointed at said boy, unsure how else to explain her absence from her friend's life. She didn't think he would have noticed her missing. Most people didn't. 

Today was just a day full of surprises. 

"Hey, I'm Joe. Nice to meet you." The Samoan reached out a hand, offering it to Jon. 

For a moment, Jon froze, expecting to be hit rather than greeted. He wasn't used to people wanted to talk to _him_. They usually looked through him, or endured his presence if it was necessary to be around him. This was new. "Jon. Uh, you too?" _Way to sound like you've properly introduced yourself to people before._ "You eatin' with us?"

Joe shrugged his shoulders, patting his pocket. When he felt the familiar lump of his wallet in his back pocket, he nodded his head at Jon. "Sure. I've got a couple bucks on me, and that pizza looks good."

"Go order than, man! You can sit with me," Colby said, pleased to have the group get larger. The idea of adding Joe's steady calm to this odd group made Colby intrigued. He wondered how it would mesh with Alex's exasperated tolerance and Jon's manic humor. Considering out of the three, he'd hung out with Alex the most - and even then it was with a way larger and more chaotic group of rowdy teens - Colby had no idea how just the four of them would get along. It was good with the three of them, but how would Jon shift to open himself to Joe's involvement. 

Thirty minutes later, the four teenagers were bolting from _Santino's_ and down the street as swiftly as they could. 

Jon's cackle and cry of, "I can't believe you called _Michael Mizanin_ a dickless bitch!" boomed in the somewhat quiet street of Cincinnati as he clapped Joe on the back. "That was pure gold, man!"

"Fuck, he's still chasing us!" Alex screeched, looking over her shoulder in fear. With Mike was Randy Orton, John Cena and Nikki Bella. Alex didn't fear many people, but someone like Nikki Bella, who could ruin her reputation at school with a few well-placed rumors (and maybe a surprising jumping that the Bella would deny having any involvement in), certainly didn't give Alex the warm-and-fuzzies. "Cut through the park and head through Big Evil's Yard! They won't follow us there!"

The three boys knew of just the place. Mark Calaway was the most frightening man in the city, quick to cuss out anyone - even unruly little children - and even quicker to dish out a few knock-out punches here and there if he felt so inclined. At the moment, that was the least of their worries, so they cut through the park. 

And, while panting and pumping their legs as quickly as they could, the four teens ran for their lives, wanting to avoid the vicious ass beating they knew was coming their way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it! Be sure to comment, leave kudos and/or bookmark!


	5. The Yard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taker hates kids. Well, some kids, anyway.

The overwhelming fatigue hit her far before she stopped running. Alex's throat felt raw, her lungs burning. If she were paler, her face would have been flushed a deep red. Recognizing the signs of an asthma attack, Alex stopped. The rest of the group stopped too, looking back at her with a variety of confused expressions on their faces. They were only two-thirds of the way through the park, and they still had to cut through Big Evil's Yard! 

"What are you doing?!" Colby yelled, eyes wide with fear as he heard the thumping footsteps of Mike's gang getting closer. "They're gonna catch us! C'mon!"

It was too hard to speak. Was that the taste of blood or was she just imagining it? Alex shook her head at Colby, doubling over with her hands on her knees. Collapsing sounded terrific at the moment, even if that meant being roughed up by Mizanin's dimwitted friends. 

"She's got asthma," Joe supplied the group upon remembering the reason for his friend never tagging along with him for jogs in the morning. "Do you have your inhaler, Alex?"

She shook her head again. _I got a refill two weeks ago. Didn't need it over break, so I forgot about taking it to school_ , she wanted to explain. The air felt like fire as she gulped for more to fill her greedy lungs. 

"Shit." 

A startled yelp left Alex as she felt her body being lifted up and settled on a hard mass. Looking down, she saw Jon's shoulder as he began to run again, calling back to the other two boys, "Quit fuckin' around. We're gonna get got!" 

Joe and Colby wasted no time following. 

~*~*~*~*~

Mark Calaway was a simple man. He liked to drink his ice cold beers while on the porch of his home at exactly 5:30 in the afternoon. His great dane, Hades, would lay at his feet as he rocked on his porch swing, looking out at his well-kept property. 

Sometimes, if he wasn't in a funk, Glenn Jacobs, Mark's half-brother, would join him. Although, instead of enjoying nature, the younger man would read a book or solve crosswords from the newspaper. 

If Glenn's books had tragic endings, or he couldn't find a word or two, the items would end up on fire, at the foot of the steps. Mark hated those days in particular. 

Today, well, Glenn seemed to be finishing his crossword puzzle with ease, laughing every few seconds in a demented manner that spooked the hell out of most people. Mark was used to it, and enjoyed the days his little brother seemed to be in a fair mood. 

"AHHHHHH!"

Mark jumped, jarred by the sudden noise filling the air. "What the fuck?" he hissed, glaring at three tall boys sprinting across his yard, one of 'em holding a damn girl on his shoulder. Regardless, it didn't look good to Mark, and he wasn't about to let these punks make it outta here without a lesson or two being taught. 

" _ **STOP!** _"__

Like magic, the kids were skidding to a halt so fast on his lawn that they all tripped over each other. The shaggy-haired boy with the brownish-auburn hair was quick to adjust the girl on his shoulder so she landed on top of him. Absentmindedly, Mark approved of the boy's consideration. The girl would've been a pancake otherwise. 

Slowly, Mark got to his feet and walked down the steps, about to make his way to the kids. A voice stopped him. 

"You gonna beat 'em?" Glenn questioned from behind him, sounding against the idea. Mark looked over his shoulder to see his brother had bookmarked his page, arms crossed over his chest and a frown on his face. "'Cause I think it ain't their fault. Look over there..." He pointed over to where the kids came from. 

Mark instantly noticed that a couple feet from his property line, the line he knew only the craziest of people - and his regular mailman - crossed, there was another group of kids. Vaguely, Mark recognized one of them as the spoiled brat of Cowboy Bob Orton. Another was a girl whose twin did enough volunteer work around the city for Mark to be surprised by the trouble her sister was in. The other two...well, they just looked like self-entitled punks. 

"I let this first group pass," Mark answered, shrugging his shoulders as if he hadn't ever planned on knocking a couple skulls and cussing the kids out. "Why don't you handle the others while I see what went down?"

Glenn was all too pleased to intimidate a few bullies. He knew what it was like to have someone pick on you. He knew it too well. "Gotcha." The younger brother whistled to get Hades to follow after him. 

As Glenn barrelled over to the other group of four, commanding them to stay where they were or suffer, "the worst nightmares of their pathetic teen lives," Mark got closer to the pile of teens on his yard. 

As he leaned over the dogpile, Mark couldn't help the grin that quirked up the corners of his lips. The biggest boy was groaning at the weight of three people on top of him. The two-toned one was gripping the grass, trying to slip from in between the boys he got sandwiched between. The boy who had been carrying the girl was clutching the girl so tight, Mark was reminded of a toddler with their teddy bear. 

But the girl was wheezing, brow furrowed in concentration that was strange for someone who hadn't been sprinting like the boys. Her big brown eyes were squinting up at him, pain on her face. 

"Y'all alright?" 

"No!" Two-Tone cried, ripping grass out of the ground in his scramble to be freed. "We gotta - Oh, god, _ow_ \- Alex has asthma."

Mark quickly guessed which one was Alex when the girl began to hack and groan at the coughs that wracked her body. He didn't hesitate to pick the girl up and carry her a couple feet from the boys. Mark sat her upright and grunted out, "Breathe in deeply through your nose. Let it out from your mouth."

Thankfully, the girl wasn't one of those rebellious kids who thought they knew everything. She did exactly as he said, having a bit of difficulty the first few breaths when coughs interrupted the flow. Mark encouraged her by rubbing her back, remembering when he last did this for someone. 

His daughter, Saraya, she used to have asthma attacks, too. Mark didn't know if she still did. Saraya went to live with her mother in England a about ten years ago. This kid - Alex, one of 'em called her - was about her age. 

"Good... Keep breathing like that," Mark said, noticing her friends were now on their feet, looking incredulous. "Why the hell're y'all on my damn yard?" he asked, glaring at them. When Alex coughed, Mark started to rub her back again. 

"Mike Mizanin was chasing us!" Two-Tone answered. Clearly he was the only one who had vocal chords. "We kinda started it by talking shit, but then they got violent. Alex had nothing to do with it, so we weren't gonna let her have Nikki beat her up. We had to run. Alex told us to cut through the park and then your yard so we'd get to her house quicker. Those assholes chased us all the way from _Santino's!_ " he exclaimed. 

_No wonder the girl is huffin' and puffin' like the Big Bad Wolf. She could've died trying to keep with with these fools._ "Where does she live?" Mark asked, wondering if he knew her folks or not. He knew most adults in town. _Everyone_ knew Mark. 

The biggest one supplied the answer, telling him the street name and the fact that Alex was his next door neighbor. Mark recognized the street. She was likely the daughter of Kofi Kingston, a businessman who worked hard to keep his family from being subjected to the darker side of Cincinnati. "Her mom's gonna kill me," the raven-haired boy groaned, grey eyes slamming shut at the thought. 

"Whatever." Mark didn't care. These weren't his children, and what happened to them after they got off his property was their business. He'd send them on their way after Sar- _Alex_ was okay. 

"Get inside."

They seemed to hesitate, probably wondering if he was gonna butcher them once they were in his domain. If he wanted them dead, he didn't have to trap them to do it. They were big boys, yeah, but nothing against Mark, a former professional wrestler and current gym owner. 

"Don't make me tell y'all twice. I'll kick yer asses outta here so fast, yer heads'll spin."

They didn't take long to shuffle inside then. 

~*~*~*~*~

Glenn entered Mark's house after scaring off the bunch of punks to see that the other, the girl and three boys, were in the living room. 

The girl was lying on the long sofa, curled up on her side with a bottle of water clutched in her hand. She appeared to be asleep, eyes closed and breathing slowly. Even while resting, she looked tired. 

The boys, on the other hand, were wide awake. They sat all squished up on the loveseat, eyes trained on Glenn as he entered the room. 

"Hi."

Three different stuttered greetings were given back to him. Glenn tried not to laugh at the kids. They were already scared shitless. 

The girl jerked awake by the sounds, blinking owlishly around at the room. "Huh? Where am I?"

"Big Evil's house," one of the boys answered, scooting down when Glenn turned his eyes on him. The two-toned boy looked like a puppy, hiding behind its bigger, rougher brothers. It was an amusing sight. "...Can we go home now?"

"Uh," Glenn started, "not sure. Mark'll be the one to decide."

"Where's Mr. Calaway?" For having just gone through an asthma attack, being chased down and confronted by the one people called "Big Evil" and "Deadman," the girl was eerily calm. 

Speaking of the devil, Mark came from downstairs, his cellphone pressed to his ear. He was speaking lowly into the receiver, his baritone voice echoing off the walls in the quiet room. "Yeah... No, some little shits decided to pick on 'em... Yeah... Yeah... They're fine. Just tired from runnin'." Mark stopped walking when he stood in front of the couch where the girl laid. "Just double checkin' here, Jodi, but your daughter has braids, dark brown eyes and is on the tall side, right? Okay. Thanks." 

"You called my dad!" 

_Yeah, she's bold_ , Glenn thought as he heard the girl indignantly whisper to Mark. She was polite enough not to yell, but brave enough to question his older brother's actions. 

"Yes," Mark answered, raising an eyebrow when he saw her sit up. "Lay back down. Yer daddy's gonna come pick us up. I guess he'll give rides to these guys, too." His free hand gestured to the boys, green eyes giving them a stern look as if to blame them for causing this drama. Rightfully, all three flinched. 

Glenn snorted. _Someone's protective of this little kid..._ And it only made sense. Mark hasn't seen little Saraya in forever. He was bound to be suppressing his paternal instincts, only to have them flood back when faced with a brown-eyed girl the same age as his own. 

~*~*~*~*~

No more than ten minutes of sitting around in a tense silence later did Alex's dad come to pick her up. 

Kofi Kingston, like Mark Calaway, was a simple man. He liked to read his newspaper every morning before work. He liked to treat his family to a nice dinner at a restaurant every second Friday of the month. And he liked to read a classic novel with a mug of hot chocolate or glass of iced tea depending on the weather. 

He _did not_ like answering the phone at 6:00PM to find that his baby girl, his pride and joy, had an asthma attack induced by running from some damn thugs. 

"Thank you so much, Mark," Kofi said as soon as said man opened the door. The expression of worry was etched so deeply into the shorter man's features that it made him appear far older than he was. "Did you know the names of the kids?"

"Only Randy Orton and one of the Bella girls. I'm sure the friends of your girl know who the other two were." Mark opened the door wider to allow Kofi inside, closing it behind him. 

The first thing Kofi noticed about Mark's home was the fact that it had the aroma of sandalwood and smoke. Not the smoke of a cigarette or a cigar, like one may expect of the Calaway home, but of campfire smoke. It was calming and reminded Kofi of the time where he first took his wife, Sarona Snuka, on a camping trip that ended up with him changing her last name to Kingston. 

The second thing he noticed was that everyone in the house, other than his daughter, was a man. Where the fuck were Alex's friends?

"Daddy..." Alex said, seeing her father stalk into the living room, murder in his eyes. Alex followed his line of sight and saw he was looking right at Jon, Joe and Colby. " _Hey._ "

"You're grounded. Straight to school and straight back home for a month."

Alex didn't object. Trying to rebel would only make things worse. "Okay." 

"You were with _boys?_ " Kofi asked his daughter, the final word coming out as if it were an explicit term. Like he himself wasn't a boy once. Or perhaps because of that very reason? 

"I - uh... Yes." Lying wouldn't make things better either. "You know Joe...and you might know Colby." Kofi nodded, remembering Colby was the adoptive son of Stephanie McMahon and Paul Levesque, while Joe's father was Sika Anoa'i. He'd notify them all of this incident as soon as possible. 

But who was this Jon kid? By the looks of him, he didn't seem all too well-off like the other two boys. The way his brow was pinched together, like he had an attitude, and the frown pulling the corners of his lips down - it was all just screaming bad news. Kofi didn't like that his daughter was hanging out with a group of boys already, but the addition of this boy in particular was the straw that broke the camel's back. 

"Get to the car, kids. I'm driving you all home," Kofi ordered, sighing heavily. He could feel the beginning of a headache come on. 

Joe and Colby stood with Alex, following her out the door. Kofi was proud, even in spite of the knowledge he just received, to see his daughter thank Mark and Glenn for helping them. At least Alex still had her manners...

As the young adults moved to the door with haste, Kofi, Glenn and Mark all noted that Jon was a bit reluctant to get going. 

They didn't know the last place in the world Jon wanted to be was home.


	6. The Mother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the words of Halsey, this chapter is so sad, " _It makes me blue~_ "

Jon watched as Colby was dropped off first. Mr. Kingston made quick work of letting Colby's adoptive parents know what had happened, advising them to make sure their son didn't get caught up in trouble like that again. Mr. Levesque, Colby's dad, agreed that a punishment was due and mentioned no video games should do the trick. 

Jon didn't understand what the big deal was with video games. He hadn't ever gotten the chance to play any of the new stuff, but the old Nintendo someone gave him a few years ago had a couple games that were okay, but they got boring quickly. 

Next, Mr. Kingston dropped off his daughter and Joe at the same time. Since Joe was the oldest of the four, Mr. Kingston expected him to March into his house and tell his parents the truth without being told. Alex, however, was met with a screaming mother when she approached her front door. Jon winced, wondering how Alex got up the courage to drag him inside her house two weeks ago if this was what she was risking. 

He honestly didn't feel worth it. Especially not when Mr. Kingston asked him for his address. 

"Civil Zone Way," Jon answered, bowing his head. He hated the look people gave him when he mentioned his home. It was on the most notorious street in the city. Anyone who went walking down that street in broad daylight on a Tuesday would find themselves getting mugged, stabbed and suddenly part of a gang - okay, that was an exaggeration, but _still_. The place was horrible. 

"You sure?" Mr. Kingston asked as if he didn't believe it. "Do you have _any_ family you want to stay with tonight instead? It's a little late." 

The sun was only just starting to set, tinting the sky a serene orange. 

"I'm sure." Jon felt himself nodding his head robotically as if he was a passenger in his own body. "You don't have to drop me off at the door, you can just drop me off a couple blocks from there. I'll be fine." 

Mr. Kingston snorted, turning in his seat to give Jon a look that said he didn't believe that. "You're 100% sure?" 

_No._ "Yes." _Don't make me go back there._

~*~*~*~*~

Ambrosia Good used to be a beautiful woman. Her auburn hair, baby face and dimples turned the heads of many men. Ambrosia wanted to be an actress, but her sudden pregnancy with her high school sweetheart prevented that. At first, her boyfriend promised to be there for her, promised to take care of his new family and stay with them no matter what. 

Then he went to get a pack of cigarettes and never came back. 

Jon had to take care of his mother ever since he was only enough to understand that the days she did get out of bed meant he had to find his own meal. Jon would grow older and upgrade from making PB&J with stale bread to doing enough illegal activities to buy fresh groceries. 

Some days, rare days, he went to school. His attendance was poor, just like him and that was fine. They pushed him through each grade as long as he did the bare minimum. 

Every day was the same. Wake up and check on his mother, scrounge up something for breakfast, choose between going to school or making money, struggle to find reasons to come back home, and go to bed. Sometimes, he'd watch wrestling and dream of making it as one of the tough guys that got the crowd to chant his name. 

Jonathan Good was stuck in a never-ending cycle up until one day, as he worked on a corner moving product for a small-time drug lord, a deal went wrong. A few clients couldn't pay up and one of 'em pulled a gun. All Jon had was a switchblade stashed in his boot, and that was fuckin' useless. 

So, Jon found himself being beaten within an inch of his life and dropped off in the middle of a strange neighborhood before he could explain he was all out of the coke they wanted. Fucking idiots. 

The best part of that day was easily meeting _Alexandria Kingston_. Tall, pretty and smart. She patched him up, fed him and gave him the most hospitality he'd ever had in his life. Jon never wanted to go home, not if he could feel as good as Dr. Lexi made him feel. 

Jon could still remember the crazy dance the did between being polite and rude. She would say something, he'd get mad, then he'd say something and she'd get mad. It was cute to watch her get flustered when he revealed they went to the same school. 

Now, as Jon sat in his living room in the dark - his mother used the money he gave her to get high rather than pay the light bill - he wanted to cry in frustration. This wasn't fair. Nothing was fair! Every time he took a step forward, he had to take ten back. All Jon wanted was to be around Alex. That was all he thought about when healing after she saved him. 

"Jon? Is that you?" a hoarse voice asked, the floorboard creaking as the person approached him. 

"Go back to bed, Ma." 

"Can't. I'm gonna have some friends over in a little while, and I need to light some candles so we can see."

Jon knew what kind of _friends_ his mother was talking about, and he prayed tomorrow morning wasn't the time where he'd find Ambrosia lying still on the floor, having overdosed. "Oh. Okay. I'll just go then..." Jon stood, brushing past his mother and heading for the door. 

"Thanks, baby. I love - " 

Jon was already gone, about to go find the dealer he worked for. If he had to make himself scarce, he'd make money doing it. 

~*~*~*~*~

It wasn't until 2:00AM where Jon returned to his tiny apartment. As he stuck his key in the lock, he could still hear the sounds of his mother's party. Beer bottles clinked, drunken laughs of men muted the laughter of his mom and if he listened too closely, he had to hear one of those bastards ask his mother to do something that made Jon wanna throw up. 

It didn't talk long for Jon to bolt inside and go to his room. As soon as he was there, he locked the door and stashed the money he earned for the night. _Fuck_ , he thought as the floorboard he lifted gave him a splinter. 

_I wonder if this is a big enough injury to get Dr. Lexi to look at me..._ The thought caused for Jon to laugh. His shoulders shook as he pulled himself to his feet. Then he doubled over, the laughter growing louder. It wasn't long before the uncontrollable peels of laughter turned into rough sobs that ripped from his throat. Each one was more painful than the last. 

In that moment, Jon felt he would never feel the same amount of contentment he did earlier that day. He was doomed to be stuck in his routine. Happiness wasn't an option for him. 

But Jon would fight like hell trying to get it back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Please comment, leave kudos and/or bookmark!


	7. The Agony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loneliness hits Alex like a spear to the gut, dirty deeds to the head and the pedigree to the face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sings Why Can't We Be Friends*

Boredom was a funny thing. You believe that there is so much entertainment, what with the technological advances of the past few decades, but no. Boredom still strikes. No one is safe from it. 

Alex was being plagued with the offending boredom as she stared blankly at the ceiling of her bedroom. Before Jon, there was homework, bland texts from friends she wasn't quite close to, watching _Breaking Bad_ or _Game of Thrones_ on her TV - hell, there was even scrolling through Tumblr or fanfiction websites. Those would fill the deafening silence and still the jumble of thoughts in Alex's mind. 

_But Mummy and Daddy gotta be strict the one time I slip up and do what I'm not supposed to_ , Alex thought to herself, her inner voice bitter as she felt. For someone who brought home grades that merited awards, did their chores with no complaints and never once talked back, Alex felt her grounding was unfair. 

What was she to do? _Disobey?_ Ha. Not with the parents she had. She was lucky to be allowed privileges to go to school. Mr. and Mrs. Kingston knew enough tutors to pull Alex out of school if they felt so inclined. 

Speaking of school, that place was a real bitch to attend - and not just because of math class! Mrs. Kingston came to enough parent council meetings and put in the man hours at bake sales to have pull with the faculty at her daughter's school. She had eyes and ears _everywhere_ , watching and waiting for Alex to dare be caught with Jon or Colby again. 

Everyday, Alex had to walk around like a zombie, ignoring Colby when he tried to engage in a one-on-one conversation with her or would hover when he saw one of the jerks from Mike Mizanin's gang around her. She tried to make him understand, without actually speaking to him, that she was told by her father that under no circumstances was she to be caught talking to the boy. Colby was relentless, making a point to catch her alone ever chance he got. 

Joe seemed to be outside extra early every morning, making unnecessary noise. He used to give her rides whenever she was running late, but she didn't have that luxury anymore.

Alex used to be on the verge of becoming late to school every morning. Now, Joe was like her alarm clock. If he was mowing, playing basketball in his family's driveway by himself or blasting music from his garage as he worked on his car, Alex would wake up. She was annoyed the first few times, thinking he was paying her back for her silence with his loudness. The fourth time got her to realize she was showing up early enough to school to grab something from a food truck across the street as her breakfast. 

It was a clever trick to help her out, but it also made her feel like the world's biggest failure of a friend. 

Jon was no better. He had no trouble yapping in her ear, seeming to be unbothered by her silence. He would tell her about his day, how he was planning to steal a teacher's car and take it on a joyride, and even blurted out a few things about his private life when Alex was particularly unresponsive. The other two kids sitting at Alex's table in her math class hated her for having the creepy kid so close to them. 

Jon didn't care, he'd just keep talking. The first and last time the teacher tried to call him out on it, Jon responded with, "I'm in the middle of something, ya know. Continue doing your number shit that we ain't gonna need in a few years."

It was getting harder and harder to stay away from her friends. 

~*~*~*~*~

"I found a bag of potato chips in my locker. They were, like, a couple of months old. Still ate 'em. Nearly hurled. They were stale as fuck."

Alex struggled not to laugh. She curled in on herself a bit more, focusing so hard on her textbook that she wasn't able to actually process any of what she read. For weeks now, she had trouble reading because Jon was always in her ear, trying to get her to look at him at the very least. She couldn't. 

"Mr. Austin is the worst gym teacher. Ya ever notice how he seems to always have a hangover? That must be why as soon as kids get in the damn gym, he demands they do a whole lot of stretching and then leaves Ms. Dumas to watch us while we do laps. Probably can't stand the sound of us runnin' and gaspin' and shit."

Alex tried to keep from answering back with, _"I bet he drinks beer during his lunch break. We should making him do a sobriety test."_ She wanted to tell him that joke and so many others. It had been forever since she heard him laugh - when he tried to fake them, they sounded pained. It broke her heart a little. He was really a good friend for the few hours they spent together. 

This time, Jon's voice took on a heavier tone. Alex barely had enough time to brace herself before he dropped one of his verbal bombs on her. "So... My mom hasn't been home in a while. I'd say it was a blessin' considering the last time she was home, her - uh - her _men_ were over, too." Jon purposely left out the part about finding his mother balled up on the couch of their tiny living room, shivering as she came down from her high, craving more of the substances that the guys she partied with gave her. Instead, he steered the one-sided conversation to what he wanted to tell her. "It's almost graduation, but I probably ain't goin', 'cause let's face it, I ain't no scholar. I'm probably gonna spend that day trying to ask my landlord to give me a couple weeks to scrape up the money to pay rent." 

Alex was happy her hair was no longer braided. Instead, the loose tendrils were in a curly 'fro, hiding her face. The tear that slipped from her eye wasn't detected by Jon as she pretended to scratch her cheek. Her chest hurt. She wanted to bawl her eyes out. _Lord, please help him..._

"I think I _will _drop by graduation though..." The rustle of fabric let her know Jon was shrugging his broad shoulders. "I wanna see ya walk across the stage. I bet you'll be pretty in your cap and gown. You always look nice."__

 _Fuck_. There were no words that could describe how good it felt to be noticed in that way. And by _Jon_. There was just a satisfying wave of euphoria that washed over her, making a warmth spread from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. She didn't know why the words coming from Jon's mouth felt so good, so _right_ , but they did. 

"You gonna keep your hair like this? I like it. I also like your braids. You've got soft hair, Dr. Lexi. You must use strawberry scented shampoo, 'cause that's what it smells like to me. It's nice. Just like - " 

The bell rang. All of the students quickly packed up, even Alex. The teacher frowned disapprovingly in Jon's direction for having talked nonstop since sitting down by Alex. It had been three weeks, but Jon showed no signs of stopping anytime soon. It was pointless to say anything. Jon wouldn't stop until he wanted to. 

"See you at lunch?" Jon asked, his normally husky voice small and fragile. The wrong answer would make it crack. " _Right?_ "

Alex said nothing. She stood from her chair and grabbed her bag and notebook, trying to avoid looking at Jon. Without a word, the girl left the room, leaving the blue-eyed boy to watch her go. 

Alex missed her friends. 

~*~*~*~*~

Colby hated English class. Hated it with a passion. He could never find the words he needed to say in his essays when he wanted them. Alex used to help him with his homework in the class when he asked her to. She to AP Literature this year and took AP English the year before. Everyone knew her as the poetic, insightful writer that could name what word you were thinking of no matter how terribly you explained its definition. 

Even before Colby made a breakthrough with her three weeks ago, she was a good enough friend and person to revise his writing and give helpful tips. "Less run-on sentences, Colby. People get bored, and fast," she'd say. Or, "Maybe next time you'd like to, I dunno, use a damn exclamation mark, that'd be sweet." She was refreshingly frank, not worried about telling him the truth. "Well, that sucked," was the most common phrase he would hear out of her after she read a paper of his. But then, she'd say, "Let's make it better together, okay?" 

As Colby sat on the bleachers by the field behind the school, looking at the football team every once in a while, he never felt so stupid. Who couldn't write a simple sentence? Where were the words that once poured out of him and onto the page? Where were the flowing lines the fit so perfectly in a breathtaking style that made his teachers eat the shit up? 

Right. They were all with Alex. And Alex was playing Hide-n-Seek: _X-treme Edition_ in between classes and going mute whenever he cornered her. Colby hated that. He hated having so much progress end up with the result of nothing. 

Colby didn't do things just to see himself fail. 

In the front of the class, the projector was showing the most recent movie adaptation for Shakespeare's _Hamlet_. The protagonist of the film was currently stabbing his secret lover's father through a curtain - _What the actual fuck, Shakespeare?_ \- and a couple kids were hooting at the hilarity of the scene. From his seat in the back row, Colby was able to see Alex hunched over her copy of _Hamlet_. He couldn't tell if she was asleep, but considering their teacher was on vacation and the substitute was on their phone, Alex probably felt it was safe to snooze. 

Wrong. 

John Cena, one of those fucking assholes who was the reason for Alex being unable to talk to them, was leaning forward at his table and holding a pencil. Colby could see the sharpened point was aimed for Alex's back, and he wasn't gonna let her get hurt by that jackass. 

Quickly, Colby slid under his seat and slid around on the floor until he ended up by Cena's chair. Since it was a public school, kids had seen weirder stuff and made no noises of disturbance on his travel. Perfect. 

"Fuck you doing, Cena?" Colby snapped, a fire in his eyes. Even in the dimmed room, the kid with the standard JROTC crew cut could feel it. 

"Nothing. Go back to your seat, bitch," John answered. "Run away _again._ "

Colby didn't hesitate to plop down in the empty seat beside Alex, snatch the pencil out of John's hand and threaten the boy. "You fucking touch her, I'll jab one of these in your eye and staple your balls to your thigh." Colby made a note in his mind to thank Jon for having a bad mouth and a worse attitude. For the past three weeks, he got to hang out with Jon - and Joe, too - after school. That whole time, they usually griped about Alex distancing herself from them, their families and all the new things they should do as soon as Alex wasn't in the hot seat anymore. 

John sat there with a gaping mouth, eyes wide. He didn't expect these words to come from the dorky, emo boy who listened to Sleeping With Sirens cranked up enough during their computer class for the rest of the class to hear it. "I - You - _Shut up!_ " 

"Real mature." 

Both boys flinched at the sudden sound of Alex's voice. Colby was surprised that she was breaking her sudden silence. It had been 3 weeks since he last heard her voice. It sounded much more exhausted than he remembered. 

Alex didn't look at Colby as she turned in her seat to face Jon. It made Colby wonder if she could sense the presence of certain people or if she had just become an expert at ignoring him. "What were you trying to do, stab my back _again?_ You did that last period - you're getting predictable. I already told you, if you touch me, I'm gonna fight you." The dead seriousness she spoke with surprised Colby. He didn't peg her as a fighter. 

John didn't either. "What are you going to do? Slap me? Try to flail in my direction in the hopes you can get one hit in?" He knew he was bigger and badder. John was on the wrestling team with Randy Orton. Both of those fuckers could bench press two of Alex with ease. 

"I'll break your arm and blacken both your eyes. We'll see if Nikki likes you with a busted face." 

John huffed but sat back, turning his eyes to the film up front, no longer interested in messing with Alex. Hamlet was running around pretending to be crazy and confusing his king uncle-step-dad and queen mother. 

Colby stayed seated beside Alex, afraid John would get bold again. Although Alex didn't say anything to him, he saw her glance at him from the corner of her eye. 

He liked to think that she was silently saying, "Thank you," for the help. 

~*~*~*~*~

As Alex walked home, she was aware of how alone she was. It wasn't because she was worried about Mizanin getting revenge - Nikki did softball, John and Randy did wrestling and Mike did theater after school. She was more aware of how _lonely_ being alone made her. 

Once, she had read something on her Tumblr dashboard about how there was a difference between being lonely and alone. Of course, she went, "Well, duh!" upon reading it before scrolling down to see a new meme. Now, she felt the weight of those words. 

When alone, she used to feel fine. She liked her own company. It was good to be away from people who expected too much of her or want to use her to be the mediator in their drama. Loneliness couldn't touch her. 

Then things changed. Being alone meant not hearing a funny joke, a crazy story or watching someone do something reckless she pretended to disapprove of even though it amused her. Being alone made Alex painfully aware of the lack of people close to her. 

For the first time in her life, Alex felt lonely and there was no one to talk to. Except one...

~*~*~*~*~

_Knock, knock, knock..._

Alex waited, listening for the sound of footsteps. When no thuds could be heard from within the home, Alex knocked again, a little more insistent. 

"Quit knockin' on my fuckin' door!" a gruff voice barked from the other side of the door. 

Alex jumped at the sound. She forgot that on a regular day with no asthma attacks skewing her thoughts, she feared Mr. Calaway. "Sorry," she whispered at the black painted door. 

It swung open no less than a second or two later. Mark Calaway glared down menacingly, mouth open to tell off whoever came to his home without calling first. "What the f - _Alex?_ " Yeah, so what if he remembered the name of the girl who reminded him of his little girl? It meant nothin'. 

"H-Hi... M-May I speak to you, pl-please?"

How could he turn away such a polite kid? "No." Just like that. 

"Please? _I promise_ , Mr. Calaway, nobody's chasing me this time. I-I just - I need somebody to talk to. I can't... My parents won't let me - " Suddenly everything just felt like too much and nothing at all. Alex hated how her vision blurred from her tears and her throat constricted as she tried to swallow around the lump in her throat. Her face felt hot with shame. Crying in front of people never felt good. 

"Come inside, girl. I'll, uh, make ya a sandwich or something..."


	8. The Search

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just keep rollin', rollin', rollin', rollin'....

The sticky blood dripped off of Jon's knuckles as he found himself pounding it into Randy Orton's cheekbone. Although the hit was meant for John Cena, the satisfaction gained from it was still top-notch. Nothing like breaking bones and spilling blood to ease stress!

"Fuck! Stop, man! You're gonna _kill him!_ " Jon heard from behind him. Colby was there, flipping out and pulling at his long brown and blond hair. "We're gonna be expelled!"

"Shut up! He ain't dead yet!" Jon snapped over his shoulder, driving his fist into Randy's face one last time before hopping to his feet. John Cena was nowhere to be found, likely not wanting to be associated with anything that could get him kicked off the wrestling team. Hastily, Jon asked Colby, "You got a car?" He gestured to Randy's still body. "We gotta go."

"I've got a bike. You're gonna have to hold on." Colby grabbed onto Jon's arm and dragged him away from the football field where the fight started. All Colby did was sit on the bleachers and wait for Jon to inevitably show up out of nowhere so they could walk together to Joe's house. Since Alex wasn't allowed to hang around them, they'd found themselves getting closer to each other. Joe would even help them with their homework, or hook them up with small jobs at his dad's auto shop if they needed money. 

Anyway, while Colby was waiting for Jon, Cena and Orton found him first. Colby was in the middle of trying to talk his way out of being jumped by the bigger men when Jon showed up. The gritty boy was up in their faces in the blink of an eye, calling them out for being cowards and protecting Colby. Before the two bullies could speak, Jon already connected his fist with Orton's gut and was wailing on the guy, unleashing pent up fury. Colby made sure to stand between Jon and Cena, keeping the wrestler from getting a few sucker punches in. 

Together, the duo ran to Colby's bike. Jon awkwardly positioned himself on the handlebars while Colby got on the seat. It took a moment to find the right balance, but when they did, they were off. Colby peddled as fast as he could with the extra weight added on, knowing that if they were caught, he could be barred from graduation. Jon called out directions, trying to keep them both from being hit by a car or toppling over. Miraculously, without any injuries gained, the pair made it to Joe's house. 

"You need a fuckin' car."

"You need to learn the difference between left and right. We nearly crashed into Mr. Dallas's mailbox."

"Whatever." Jon rang Joe's bell, his blue eyes wandering over to the pristine house that Alex lived in. He missed her. 

Joe opened up the door, a telephone pressed to his ear. He didn't look happy. His mouth was set in a grim line, his brow furrowed and grey eyes narrowed. "Are you sure she isn't at the _library_ , Mrs. Kingston?"

Both Colby and Jon snorted. They knew Alex hated the local library. She thought it smelled like, "death, crappy plot twists and failed dreams." She preferred ordering her books online. 

"...No, Mrs. Kingston. Alex isn't over here. I haven't been able to talk to her since - Accusations ain't helping. No need to threaten to call the cops! I didn't do anything! If she was over here, you would have seen her by now... Mrs. Kingston, _I can see you peeping through the window right now!_ "

Colby snickered as he saw one of the blinds in Alex's house swiftly close. Ms. Kingston wasn't slick. 

"Do you want me to go find her" A long pause. " _Please_ , I can find her. I know all her hangout spots. Alex doesn't go alone to anywhere she hasn't been before with friends."

This made Jon stiffen and Colby ask, "What? What happened?" Joe didn't answer, intently listening to whatever Mrs. Kingston was saying to him. The other two boys waited with bated breath, leaning in as Joe nodded his head and ended the call without a further word. 

"C'mon, y'all. We've got to go look for Alex. She isn't home, and her parents are worried."

Luckily for them, Joe had a car. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Listen here, kid, I ain't gonna have ya wipin' your snotty nose on my couch, okay? Cost me a lotta money, ya know."

Alex ignored Mark Calaway's gentle teasing. She was trying to get her emotions under control. The inner turmoil she was struggling against hit its peak about five minutes ago. Now, she was just wrestling with her guilt and anger for not putting up a harder fight against her parents. If she just rebelled a teeny, tiny bit, they would have probably given her some leeway. But, no, Alex was too mild-mannered and avoided conflict with her parents like the plague. 

_What kind of poor excuse for a teenager am I? I didn't even storm up to my room! I just took the punishments without a word of protest! How the hell am I gonna make it as an adult if I can't practice standing up for myself right now?_

"Ya know, your thinkin' face makes it look like thinkin' hurts ya."

"I've got a lot to focus on all at once," Alex grumbled, noticing that there was now a box of tissues beside her on the couch. She took a couple and loudly blew into them, cringing at the gross noises she made. _I wouldn't want me to be getting snot all over my couch either._ "Yuck."

"Thank goodness, ya finally realized that those tissues were beside ya. I was wonderin' when ya'd figure it out." From the kitchen, Hades barked once as if agreeing with him owner. 

Alex gave Mark a weak smile. Her head hurt from crying for so long. Why did crying make a person feel 100 times better and worse at the same time? All the emotional pain was numbed, but then the physical pain emerged. "Thank you."

"So, you gonna tell me what the hell's botherin' ya?" Mark didn't know if he really wanted to know, but if this kid was blubberin' like a newborn baby on his doorstep, he figured it was in his best interest to get involved before she hurt herself. 

_Saraya would've wanted someone there for her if she was hurtin'..._

Alex dove into the story of what happened since the last time she trespassed on Big Evil's Yard, all the while pausing in between her detailed explanations to blow her nose with a tissue or wipe away tears with her hands. When she got to explaining how not having Jon around made her feel the worse, and _why_ , Mark knew he had overfilled his quota of teenage drama. 

"Stop, stop, stop! Damn it, kid, I said _**STOP!**_ " Mark hollered, holding his hands up as Alex tried to add in details about Jon's, "gorgeous blue eyes." She didn't seem to even realize her own feelings about the boy as she spoke, but if that Jon boy ever heard her talking the way she did, he'd be stupid if he couldn't figure it out. 

With a shuddering sigh caused from crying so hard for an extended period of time, Alex went silent. She didn't know what she said, but clearly Mark felt he knew the whole story now. If anyone could fix a problem, it would probably be the man who had the respect and fear of everyone in town. 

"Uh, okay..." Mark started, grimacing. He didn't think he'd have to have this type of talk with anyone in his lifetime. Not since he last saw his little girl. "Um, there comes a time in everybody's life where they have to find their own way. Some choose to follow whoever has power, others find whatever makes them feel powerful." 

Mark didn't even knew where he was going with this. _Do I tell her to go wild and do what she wants or do I tell her to suck it up and do as her parents say? Fuck... I ain't got the qualifications for this._ Since he didn't know what to say, Mark said what he thought would be the best for a kid to hear. It wasn't like he could make shit worse, right? Right?

"But, everybody, and I mean _everybody_ , doesn't know what the fuck they're doin'. Look, if ya wanna find out what ya need to do, ya gotta figure out if ya think yer parents were just tryin' to control ya or help ya. If they're controllin' ya, ya gotta talk to 'em. Gotta get them to cut ya slack. If ya think they're helpin', ya better shut yer goddamn trap and go home _right now._ "

"O-Okay..." Alex nodded, trying to ignore the aggressive last bit of his speech. "But, what if I ask them to cut me slack and they get mad?" Alex didn't want to be grounded while in college. 

Mark shrugged. The extent of his advice ended there. His parents weren't really good people, and his childhood was fucked up. Wasn't much he could say to the girl that went beyond, "Bury 'em alive," or, "Run away from home and make a living as a wrestler." That would just get the police involved and/or lead to more problems for her. 

Man, he missed Death Valley.

"You should remind them that you are an adult now. Didn't you turn eighteen last week?"

Alex jumped as Glenn suddenly appeared in the entrance of the living room, box of tissues flying all the way across the room. Mark was used to his little brother just showing up without a sound. It wasn't anything but a typical Friday afternoon. 

"Y-Yes," Alex answered when her heartbeat stopped obstructing her hearing. _How did he know that?_

"I know lots of things. I spend a lot of time reading, watching people...burning things to feel joy. You know, the usual."

_Burning things to... That's not 'the usual.' _"Oh." _Just keep a neutral expression and try not to be set on fire by this dude, Alex.___

"Since you're eighteen now, why don't you have an adult conversation with your parents. Let them know that you have to make your own choices now. You have to be given the freedom to fail or succeed in whatever you set your sights on. Got it?"

Alex nodded. It sounded logical enough. 

"Now, get the hell out. I'm pretty sure your mother has sent out the FBI to find you. If your face isn't plastered all over the news and on missing signs by tonight, I would be surprised."

Mark threw his head back and laughed. Glenn was _much_ better at this advice shit than he was! Why did everyone assume that because his little brother was quiet, he wasn't smart? 

~*~*~*~*~*~

Joe stomped on the brake, whirling around in his seat. "I swear to God, Colby, if you don't stop yelling where to go in my ear, I will reach back there and strangle the life outta you!"

Equally as annoyed, but for a different reason, Jon growled, "Drive, man! Fuck, if Alex is hurt, I'll kill the both of you for holdin' us up!"

"Don't tell me what to do," Joe snapped as he began driving again. He grumbled for a couple seconds before saying, "Call Alex again."

Jon looked at the cellphone in his hand. It was embarrassing when Joe first placed it in his hands and told him to call Alex the first time. He didn't know how to work the phone - he wasn't used to having technology in his hands. Colby, like some sort of saintly advisor, told Jon what to do to pull up Joe's contact list and find Alex's number. From there, Jon was able to take over and call Alex - the pictures were more straightforward on that screen. 

The first call went straight to voicemail. Jon left an angry message telling Alex that, "ya better fuckin' get ready to be yelled at for fuckin' fuckin' around, Doc! I ain't fuckin' playin'! I'm mad as fuck. Call me the fuck back! _**Fuck!**_ " 

And if Jon could say so himself, his message was beautifully spoken. 

An hour into their search, and Jon had about seven more messages left for Alex. The first two were still angry, curse-filled shouts that got all his rage out. The last five were along the lines of, "Please, answer, Dr. Lexi. We're worried about you, okay? You ain't supposed to be the irresponsible one, ya know. The three of us need you to at least tell us you're okay. Call me back...please?"

Jon never begged so much in his life before meeting Alex. Maybe she was the only one he knew that was worth holding onto with all he had. 

After yet another phone call led to him talking to an answering machine, Jon was starting to lose hope. 

"You know, she and I met when I had a giant fight with my father 'bout goin' into the wrestling business," Joe suddenly spoke. His grey eyes were fixed ahead on the road, but the way his hand clenched on the gearshift, both Colby and Jon could tell this particular story bothered him. 

"Yeah? What happened?" Colby asked, leaning forward in his seat. 

"My dad got so angry that I didn't want to do something safer, something that wouldn't cause my body to break down every year I got older, that he fuckin' decked me. He thought I was disrespecting him for throwing away the safe life he built up so his youngest son didn't have to put his life on the line for a couple dollars," Joe explained, his voice holding tightly leashed emotions. "I ran out the house, busted lip bleeding so much it looked like I was a fucking vampire. I sat on the curb and cried like some damn baby." 

Jon could picture the scene so clearly. He'd found himself running out of his house with injuries too - not from fights where family cared too much, but from a fight all the same. 

"Alex was just trying to read her copy of _The Giver_ when my crazy, snotty-cryin' ass burst out the front door. It took about five minutes of her staring at me before I noticed someone else was outside. So, of course, I tried to cover up my crying and shit because a pretty girl was looking at me like I lost my damn mind. Not even two seconds into wiping away my tears did I hear her go, " _What's wrong? You wanna talk about it, man? I'm not the best advice giver, but I will listen. Everyone needs to be listened to..._ " And that just made me cry harder. I never felt like such a punk in my life." Joe looked put out by then memory, as if he still couldn't believe it happened. 

Colby chuckled a little. "So, what'd you do after? You talked to her right?"

"No! I told her that I didn't have anything to say, went to the garage and worked on my car." Joe laughed, "Didn't want her thinking I was a bitch, you know? But, the next day, I snuck out really early in the morning, climbed the tree outside her bedroom window and threw little twigs at it until she woke up. I talked to her then...and she listened. Just like she told me she would. Didn't even cuss me out for waking her up in the middle of the night. When I stopped talking, she told me, " _I'll root for you when I see you on TV. Hook me up with some tickets if you ever remember me._ " I'm definitely going to make sure she has tickets to any show she wants." 

Jon nodded, understanding. He would buy Alex the world if he had the money. 

Joe quickly glanced at the two passengers in his Chevy Impala. "How'd you two meet her?"

Before Jon could try to remember what lie he and Alex told Colby, the two-toned boy was answering Joe's question with a bright smile. 

"She accidentally drank my half of my water bottle during orientation in 9th grade before realizing it wasn't hers, and told me we had to get married. Said there was no way out of it." Colby laughed. "I told her that she and I should start by getting lunch on the first day of school before we jumped into marriage. Later, when we took a tour around the school, she tripped on the steps and nearly killed me in the process. We've been friends ever since - we didn't actually start to get closer until this year. Jon, you gonna tell your story?"

"Uh," Jon started. After everything, the mutual anguish of missing their friend, the rivalry with Mizanin's crew and the sharing of these personal stories, did he really want to lie? Did he? 

_Screw it._

"I lied, Colby. I - The story you know, isn't how it really happened. I-I live in Civil Zone Way, and y'all know what that's like. I had to make money fast if I wanted to eat. So, I picked a job that fit my needs. I got jumped by some druggies, and they beat me good." The car felt deafeningly silent. "Dropped me off right outside Alex's house. Those bitches dumped me in the middle of the street with blood, bruises and cuts _everywhere _. Alex saw me. She brought me inside and patched me up. She fed me and talked to me like she wasn't afraid of me even though she was shaking and avoiding eye contact. I remembered her face after a while, and promised myself that I'd get to know her. I liked her - still do."__

Joe seemed to freeze up, his entire body tense as he glared at the road. " _What the fuck...? _" he whispered quietly to himself, disbelief in his tone.__

"That's..." Colby started, leaning forward and giving Jon an indecipherable stare. "That's so fucking cute!"

Coming to a red light, Joe and Jon shared a look as Colby reared back and energetically bounced around the backseat. A look of irritation crossed both of their faces when Colby began kicking the back of their seats. 

"So, by _like_ her, do you mean as a friend or...?" Joe asked after a couple seconds. He was trying not to sound too intrigued, feeling just like Colby on the inside. Alex would be good for Jon. Jon needed someone level enough to keep him grounded. Hell, Alex needed someone as unpredictable as Jon to liven her up. They were different, but it worked. A relationship that worked positively for both sides was rare in Cincinnati, or at least, for the people Joe knew. 

"Why do ya wanna know?" Jon made a low growling noise in the back of his throat, looking out the window. The action reminded Joe of a threatened dog seeking escape. Clearly, Jon thought Joe had a thing for Alex. That couldn't be further from the truth. Alex was like Joe's little sister - she just didn't know it. 

Joe shrugged his shoulders. "I just wanna know. 'Cause y'all would be...cute together?" He hadn't meant to make it sound like a question, but it did. Is cute even the right word for them? _Alex would probably say they'd be ,"spectacular," or some other flashy word. Jon would say they're, "right." Like any other way was just wrong and unnatural._

After a moment more kg eyeing the driver, Jon nodded his head. He needed to clear up the tension in the car. Fast. "You're damn right we are! Have you seen these dimples, man? Girls eat that cute shit up!"

Colby wished he had taken more pictures of Jon and Alex together the day they all hung out. Then his new favorite ship would have been able to have a scrapbook of their intimate moments. _Damn, I can never figure out when people are in love until they're either together or on the verge of splitting apart... Tumblr should have made me better at seeing potential ships when they're in my face._


	9. The Conference

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, all ya gotta do is talk it out.

Before now, the most frightening moment in Alex's life had been when she first started 9th grade. Everyone made it seem like high school would be a nightmare filled with hazing, snobby cheerleaders and crappy lunches. Alex was so undeniably terrified, she cried in the car on the way to school. Her mother kept giving her concerned glances, occasionally patting her arm during red lights. It just made her cry a little harder.

When they pulled up to the school, Alex became a stone statue, unable to move. She stared up at her new school, aware of the fact that she was now at the bottom of the totem pole again. Her reputation was diminished to nothing but, "One of the babies that scamper through the halls and get in the way." 

Alex's mother unlocked the door, allowing Alex to slide out of the car and onto the sidewalk. Mrs. Kingston smiled and called out, "Have a nice day!" before zooming off. Alex stared after the car, wishing she could skip school and spend the day with her mother instead. Her nerves were getting the best of her. She wanted to throw up. 

And then she heard, "ALEX!" shouted from across the front lawn of the school. She searched the crowd, looking for the face that matched the voice that called for her. There he was... _Colby Lopez._

Alex knew she wasn't alone then. 

But, this was nothing like that. Instead of wanting to be with her mother and avoid the rest of the world, Alex wanted to hide in a crowded room away from her mother. As she trudged up the steps of her home, she wondered how such a beautiful home like hers, with its pretty wisteria trees that held purple and white flowers surrounding it, could hold the undoubtedly furious parents of hers inside.

It didn't matter. She would have to face the music sooner or later. If she faced them sooner, at least she had a chance of being allowed to go to her prom or graduation. 

Alex cracked the door open, peeking into the hallway. _All clear._ She stepped inside, slowly and carefully, aware of her every movement. She tiptoed her way to the living room, trying to appear as meek as possible. If she looked remorseful, maybe her father would show a little pity for her and get her mother to cool down. 

"Alexandria Grace Kingston."

 _Oh, my god. I'm going to die._ Alex had to forcefully plant herself to her spot as she stood in the middle of the living room, facing her mother and father. A quick glance at the clock on the wall behind them, and Alex saw it was 6:30PM, about four and a half hours after school let out. Meaning it was four hours past her curfew. 

"Yes, ma'am?"

"What the hell has gotten into you?" Mrs. Kingston asked, looking both hurt and confused. "You're a good girl, you always do as your told, you've never brought home bad grades. I just... Baby, _I don't understand!_ What's wrong? Talk to me!"

Alex hadn't expected that. She didn't know what to say. Her mother decided to continue grilling her. 

"Is it me? Are you mad about me taking overtime at work?" She looked on the verge of tears. "Baby, college is going to be expensive; I need to have more money to help you out. I can't just leave you to - "

"It's not that!" Alex interrupted. How could her mother think she'd be ungrateful enough to act up over her kind act? "I-I..." 

"Alexandria, what's wrong?" Mr. Kingston questioned, stepping forward to embrace his child. "What can we do to help?"

It was getting hard to think, to breathe. Alex felt like their sudden attentiveness was crushing her. She wanted to run and hide, but there was nowhere to go. Her face felt hot as tears began to well up. It was hard to understand why she was about to cry, but she knew she was and that it wasn't going to help her as she tried to explain things. Alex tried to remain strong, but when her father pressed a kiss to the top of her head, the tears spilled over and she let out an audible sob. 

Both of her parents were on her then, wrapping her up in between them and murmuring soothing words. Moments like this made Alex both glad and sick of the fact that she was an only child. There was too much and not enough attention on her. Alex cried harder, wanting to pull away from their smothering hold and bury herself deeper in their arms. It was a conundrum.  

Frustrated, Alex began to voice her worries and wants of the past few weeks. Her words became muffled, for she had her face pressed into her mother's shoulder, foiling her attempts to speak her mind. Her parents backed away from her a bit, allowing her the chance she needed to say what she wanted. 

"You guys took away my only friends," Alex said, her voice cracking. She could barely finish the sentence, the words sounding worse to her ears than they were as thoughts.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Why the hell do you lil' bastards keep endin' up on my yard lookin' fer help?" Mark asked, glaring at the three boys Alex was friends with. "Go 'way." He began to close the door. 

"Wait!" A foot stopped the door from shutting completely. Mark wondered just how much trouble he'd get in for pulling the pistol tucked into the waistband of his jeans out and shooting that foot. 

_"WHAT?!"_ Mark growled, ripping the door open as he realized shooting minors was probably up there as something that would get him years and years worth of jail time. 

Colby inched back a little. "Uh, sorry... I just - We wanted to say - Have you seen Alex, sir?"

"Yeah. She's gone now, so fuck off." Mark slammed the door shut. 

"Isn't he a ball of sunshine?" Jon asked, grinning. He was glared at by both Joe and Colby, which made his grin fade. "... _Anyway_ , if Mark's seen her, Alex is home."

"Why do you say that?" Joe asked, walking down the stairs of the front porch. He quickened his strides when he heard Hades barking from inside the house. He wasn't trying to get a chunk of his ass bitten off today. 

Jon shrugged. "That where _I_ would go after facing Big Evil on my own - Alex's house."

"...Why?" Colby asked. If anything, Colby would go home if he had the scare of his life. His house would be like a safe haven for - _Oh_. 

"She's home," Jon repeated. His blue-eyed gaze became distant. 

Joe glanced over his shoulder at Jon, feeling as if the words his friend spoke had a double meaning. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

"You... Let me get this straight, okay? Y-You dragged in a strange boy, bandaged him up and fed him...and now you're friends?" Mr. Kingston was horribly confused by the story his daughter just told him. He almost wouldn't have believed it if it hadn't been for the fact that Alex would never create such a complex lie for no reason. 

"Yes."

"But, Joe and Colby?" Mrs. Kingston asked.

"I met Colby in 9th grade. He was my first friend, actually. He made high school less scary."

"Joe?" Mr. Kingston prodded. "You met him first, surely... I mean, he _is_ our neighbor."

"I didn't meet him first, though. I met Joe after he had some issues with his dad... Then, I met Jon."

"And he's probably a drug dealer who's going to get you shot."

"Dad!"

"What? How could you - Do you even know where he _lives?_ "

Alex faltered a little at that. " _Yes._ " She knew it wasn't a good place, but her father couldn't treat her like a child who didn't understand what she was getting herself into. Cin City wasn't the safest or the most dangerous place, but Civil Zone Way was notorious for its crime. The irony of the name was not lost on anyone. 

"These were your _first friends?_ " That single fact was bothering Mrs. Kingston. She could have sworn that during the times she would pick her daughter up, Alex had a large group of friends that she hung out with when younger, and even had a large group she talked to after school. 

"They were the first ones to really care about me." _They were the first ones to ask me how I felt, what was up with me and what I wanted to do... They included me in on conversations and I didn't have to force my presence on them in order to end my loneliness..._

Alex bowed her head, thinking carefully about the next thing she wanted to reveal. "You know what? Every adult on this street comes to me with their problems, thinkin' that just 'cause I'm an AP student and quiet that I am the perfect therapist who wont repeat their secrets. I hate it. I hate having to deal with adult drama when I am just trying to live my own life. I try to listen, I do, but they never listen back. I never get a turn. I am just expected to give, never take. Sometimes, I don't want to get out of bed because I know as soon as I step out the door to get the mail, I can be accosted by some grown man who wants to tell me about his wife cheating on him with his with one of his friends. I just want to have fun for once..."

There was a heavy silence that followed Alex's confession. It suffocated Alex, making her uncomfortable and twitchy. She shifted in her seat, waiting to see what her parents had to say.

"I am so sorry," both of her parents said at the same time. 

Alex stared at them. Was she hearing right? "Huh?"

Mrs. Kingston stood up from her seat on the couch before she began to pace back and forth. Alex watched her from her position in an armchair, confused. "Oh, damn. I just thought you were going through some crazy phase and were about to give us hell. I didn't think you were trying to _be a kid_ for once. All this time, I thought you were hanging with our neighbors because you liked being part of the community - I never realized they were _using you_." Her mother began to mutter under her breath about cussing every housewife out during the next book club meeting, mentioning ruining the next NFL Game Night held at their house by serving the food extra late. 

"I better go call Joe," Mr. Kingston said, "Your momma sent the boy out on a mission to find you. You know she doesn't like him, right?"

"I don't like anybody."

"You like me. You like our daughter."

"Y'all aren't just anybody." 

~*~*~*~*~*~

"I was right."

"Shut it," Joe said, even though he was smirking. Jon was right. Alex was home. From their parked spot in his family's driveway, he could see Alex sitting one of the rails of her front steps, swinging her legs back and forth. She didn't seem to mind that the fact that it was about to rain, her face upturned to the sky with a small smile quirking the corners of her lips up. 

"She's so fuckin' pretty."

Colby began to coo from the backseat, getting louder as he leaned forward. "I'm glad you feel comfortable enough to admit this stuff to us now."

Jon nodded. "I need to tell someone or I'll explode."

"Dramatic."

"No. _Accurate._ " 

Joe was too busy thinking about the conversation he had with Alex's mother to laugh at the banter between Jon and Colby. For the first time ever, Joe heard the woman actually sound _sorry_. She apologized for being accusing and thinking the he and the guys were trying to steer her daughter wrong. It was jarring and made Joe's mind go blank for most of the conversation. He was lucky he did catch a few key words though. 

"Let's get this reunion started," Joe interjected, stopping Jon from socking Colby for patting his head like a proud mother. 

Jon was out the car in an instant, dashing toward Alex with a speed that would have made Usain Bolt jealous. Inside the car, Joe and Colby watched with gaping mouths. 

"Alex!"

Said girl jumped at the call of her name, eyes locking onto Jon's. A smile broke out over her face as she noticed him getting closer. It widened even more when she realized she didn't have to run in the opposite direction. 

"Jon!" Alex cried, hopping off the rail and meeting him halfway. 

When they collided, it was painful and glorious all at once. They held on tightly, pressing together and clutching onto the backs of each other's jackets. 

"I missed you," Alex whispered into Jon's chest. She could feel tears welling up again. "I'm sorry. I missed you. I missed you. _I missed you._ "

Jon didn't even have the words to describe how he felt. Her arms were his home and he was a troubled man ready for a safe place to live. _Damn, Doc... This feels so good_. He never wanted to leave home again.


	10. The Sleepover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon gets frisky. Oh, boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sexual things happen, guys.

"Mom? Hey... Uh, can I stay over at Joe's tonight?" Colby spoke into his cellphone, scratching his chin. He idly wondered how he would look if he grew out a beard. _Fuckin' awesome._

" _Joe? That Samoan boy whose father owns that auto body shop? ...Let me speak to his father._ " His mother didn't sound particularly pleased to let him be there, but her request let him know she was considering it. 

Colby peeked his head out of the large kitchen of Joe's house, looking into the living room. "Mr. Anoa'i? My mom w-wants to t-talk to you," he timidly said to the man sitting on the couch. After hearing Joe's story about how he met Alex, and seeing how Joe sat as far away from his father as possible, Colby feared Joe's dad a little. 

Mr. Anoa'i gestured for Colby to come over and hand him the phone. Colby nearly tripped in his haste to comply. "Hello? Yes. No, the boys were just going to hang out here for the night. It is the weekend. I will make sure Joe helps Colby get any homework he needs done. Hmm? Yes. Okay. Yeah. Uh-huh. Yep. Okay... Yep. _Okay_. Bye." Mr. Anoa'i heaved a sigh as he handed the phone back to Colby. "Your mother is crazy."

Colby agreed. 

"Mom?"

" _I'm bringing over some clothes and things for you, okay? I'll see you soon._ " And she hung up. No, "I love you," or anything. 

Pocketing his phone, Colby joined Joe on the other couch in the living room. 

~*~*~*~*~

Jon would say he couldn't remember the last time he was stuffed, but he could. It was the day he met Alex and she gave him some of the leftovers that were in her fridge. It was a little surreal that he was now eating at the dinner table with her and her parents. 

Who would have ever thought Jonathan Good, a mutt from Civil Zone Way without a dollar to his name, would be capable of having a nice meal with a family like the Kingstons? They were so refined, polite and spoke English like they wrote the dictionary themselves. It was unbelievable!

"Would you like some more pasta, Jon?" Mrs. Kingston asked. Her eyes were just like Alex's, catching every movement and storing it in her brain. He wondered how Mr. Kingston met her. He couldn't imagine them meeting like he met their daughter. "You can have as much as you'd like. We eat until we are full around here." 

_Don't mind if I do_. "Thanks." He spooned some more of the chicken and broccoli zitti onto his plate. There was loads more left, so he didn't feel bad about this being his third helping. Besides, no one was commenting on how hungry he was, so that was the ultimate green light. 

From his right, he felt Alex's left leg bump into his by accident. He intended on bumping her back playfully - honest, he did! - but when he felt the warmth of her leg against his for the second time in five seconds, he kept his leg where it was. He smiled as he ate, noting how she didn't move over. He pressed his leg against hers a little more, barely holding in a laugh at the way Alex shifted in her seat to do the same. 

If her parents noticed them sitting on the edges of their seats, they didn't comment on it. They were far too wrapped up in the thoughts of what pressures they put on their daughter and ideas on how to mend it all. 

Alex felt hot all over. This close contact with Jon was overwhelming and not enough all at once. She wanted to drape herself over him, but figured that wouldn't be appropriate with her parents in the room. Her mother asked her a question, and she stuttered a reply, her focus mostly on Jon's had that managed to wander it's way to her thigh. It stayed there, like an unnecessary reminder that Jon was there, right now, with her. 

_Oh, god._

Next, her father commented about how late it was, and man he'd sure hate to send Jon home right now. Alex could only let out a strange hum of agreement. Jon was rubbing circles on her thigh, chatting with her mother like a darling little guest. Alex wanted nothing more than to rub upstairs and take a cold shower to cook her heated skin. 

"Jon, would you like to stay the night?" Mrs. Kingston asked. "I wouldn't feel right sending you home so late at night." _And to Civil Zone Way, no less. It's bad enough to go there in broad daylight_. 

Jon was not going to pass up a golden opportunity to stay with Alex for the rest if the night. "Yes, please. Thank you." He couldn't remember the last time he exercised his manners like this. It was tiring. He didn't know how people could be so polite all the time. 

"Excellent. Alexandria will show you to the guest room after dinner - right, Alex?"

Alex was in heaven. She had to be. There was no other way that she could feel this good if she weren't in heaven. Jon's hand was working magic on her inner thigh now, fingertips lightly scratching the skin of her leg exposed in her shorts. What he was doing had to be just about the most sexy - 

Jon clenched onto Alex's thigh with just enough pressure to make her come back to her senses. She glanced to Jon from the corner of her eye, seeing his innocent smile shot her way. She cursed his dimples and hands. Satan must have created this little trouble-making seducer. 

"Right."

~*~*~*~*~

"Here's an extra pillow. And another blanket. It gets cold in this room at night no matter the season, and we have no idea why."

Jon took the items from Alex, sitting on the edge of the large bed he was given. "Thanks, Dr. Lexi." The room, although plain and decorated with a black and white scheme, was much better than anything Jon ever had. He wondered what it would be like to have a family as complete and caring as Alex's was. 

Speaking of Alex, she had stopped in her room for two minutes to quickly change into pajamas before giving him a grand tour of the house. He got to see her point out where everything was in case he needed it while dressed in cotton short shorts and a tank top. She looked so damn sexy, he was tempted to grab her by the hand and head for her room so he could see for himself if the rest of her skin was as soft as her thigh. 

"Why do you insist on calling me that?"

"What?" he asked, distracted by how sweet the faded scent of her perfume was. There were a lot of things he was noticing about her now that she was engaging in conversation with him again. 

Alex sighed a little, embarrassed to have brought it up. "Dr. Lexi. Everyone else calls me Alex."

"I ain't exactly like everyone else." 

_Clearly you aren't. No one else has felt me up while eating dinner with my parents._ "Oh. Right." _Very articulate, Alex. Good one._

 _She's so pretty when she tilts her head to the side like that._ "Yeah. You're somethin' special, Doc. Not too many of ya walkin' 'round either." _I wanna kiss you so damn bad_. 

"Hmm?" Alex was pretty sure there were other black nerds walking around on the planet. However, she wasn't going to argue with him. It was nearly eleven at night and she wanted to be up early to take Jon to her favorite spot. _Woods & Langston Community Center_ was a place owned by her dad's friends. She got to go there all the time and hang out, get fed free food by Mr. Langston and even learned how to play the trombone by Mr. Woods. They were cool, and she wanted Jon to get to know them. 

"You goin'?"

Alex nodded her head, scratching her temple. "Yeah. I'm tired. How about you and I go somewhere in the morning?"

 _I'd go anywhere with you_. "Sure. Anywhere us wanna go, I'll go."

Alex grinned. She liked the thought of that. "Cool. Goodnight, Patient Good."

It wasn't until Jon was laid out in a comfortable position under the covers, his body relaxed after a peaceful end to his day, belly full and _safe_ , when he realized Alex just gave him a little nickname. 

"Fuck. If I ain't in love, I don't know what this is."

~*~*~*~*~

"I can see why you left the house... Your dad is a little... _much._ "

Joe laughed as he pulled his hair back. "He's being nice to me right now, actually. As soon as you go home, he's gonna be started fights with me about my career choice."

Colby's eyes widened. All night, all that Mr. Anoa'i did was glare at his son, mutter under his breath and ignore Colby unless he addressed him directly. He didn't think it could get any worse. Apparently, it could. "I am so sorry."

"Your mother is a little much, too," Joe commented. "I would've though you'd see the similarities. She... She doesn't seem like the warmest of people."

Okay, that was true. In the two minutes Mrs. McMahon-Levesque, his adoptive mother, took to get out of her shiny red Porsche, prance up the front steps of the Anoa'i home and hand him a bag with all of the things he would need to stay over, she'd made a lasting impression. Even from behind her $300 Prada sunglasses, he could tell she was judging the beautiful Victorian style homes on the street for not being mansions. She shoved his dufflebag in his arms, gave him a kiss on the cheek, and after taking a single glance back at the Anoa'i house over her shoulder and huffing, left. 

"Tell me about it," Colby said. He was on the floor of Joe's room, an air mattress, a couple blankets and a few pillows down there for his comfort. He didn't want to take the guest bedroom, knowing that it would be much more fun if he stayed in Joe's room and they talked all night. Admittedly, he also wanted to spend some time alone with Joe, even if they were half-asleep and delirious.

A buzzing noise came from Joe's bed. Colby saw Joe come out of the bathroom and pick up his phone. He read the message sent to him before he laughed, slipping into his bed. "Alex wants to take us to _Woods & Langston_ tomorrow. You up for it?"

 _If that's where you're going, I'm following_. "S-Sure." 

~*~*~*~*~

It was an hour past midnight, but that didn't mean everyone was asleep. 

"I _don't_ like that he lives in _that_ place. Do you know how many kids come to Xavier and Big E, looking for shelter from their abusive homes, that are from there? What if one day, Alexandria comes home crying, telling us Jon's dead? At least _three_ kids die a week around there, and _ten_ more are born to poor homes that can't provide for them! That place is overcrowded, and most of the adults have illegal jobs - _if_ they have jobs!"

Sarona Kingston nodded, watching from her place in the bed as her husband paced the room. He had a point. Jon was a nice kid who was living in a not so nice neighborhood. It would be a miracle if he made it to twenty. "What do we do? It isn't like we can just call Child Services. You know they'll hear where he's from and hang up. They don't do shit for those kids, Kofi. What can we do?"

"I don't know. I don't know." He hated that for once in his life, he did not have an answer. For the sake of his daughter, he needed to find one. If Jon was the first person to befriend her, the amount of psychological damage to Alexandria would be horrific if he died. 

"Maybe..." _Oh, Lord, why am I about to ask this?_ "Maybe he could stay here?"

Kofi stopped pacing. "Huh?"

"Hear me out! Alexandria is a good girl. She knows better than to mess around with him while under our roof. If we let Jon stay here, we won't have to worry about him ever winding up dead. He can walk Alexandria to school - I know you worry about her walking around on her own, especially after that fiasco with that Mizanin boy and his friends. Then he can walk her back, maybe help out around the house or something. I don't know. It just...it seems like the only option. I don't... What if it was Alexandria who needed help? What if she had his life? I would want someone to protect my baby."

Kofi agreed. He'd want someone to look out for Alexandria. So, he'd protect Jon, give him a place to stay. "We'll ask him about it in the morning."

"Good. Now, baby, _come to bed._ " Sarona pulled back the covers, cocking her head to the side and looking at her husband from under her lashes. 

Kofi grinned. He knew that look. That's was the look that got Alexandria made. "Ain't gotta tell me twice!"


	11. The New Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon gets handsy before breakfast, Alex pops into an art class to say hi to one of her old teachers, and both Big E and Xavier are loveable uncles.

By eight in the morning, Alex was up and looking for something to eat that would give her an energy boost. She walked down the stairs, trying to be quiet to avoid waking anyone who wasn't up. As she got closer to the bottom, she could hear pots and pans, and she knew who was in the kitchen cooking. 

"Morning, Daddy," she greeted, shuffling in the kitchen with bare feet.

Kofi turned away from the stove, smiling at his daughter. "Morning, sweetheart. I am making breakfast, the most important meal of the day. Did you know..."

Alex immediately tuned out her father's fun fact, knowing it wasn't a fact so much as it was a personal opinion, like that time where he bashed country music when she asked him if Nashville was as musical as people said it was. It took her a good ten minutes to get him to calm down take a deep breath and stop bashing Florida Georgia Line for popularizing "Bro Country" even more. 

She scratched her head and looked around the kitchen, seeing that the island in the middle of the room was covered with ingredients. _Oh, great. He's 'bout to make a mess._

Alex left the kitchen quickly, not wanting for her mother to come in and think she helped wreck the kitchen. She hopped over the back of the couch and clicked on the TV, searching for something good to watch. 

The doorbell rang. 

Still a little out of it, Alex looked to the doorway of the kitchen, waiting to see if her father would pause banging around in the kitchen to answer it. He didn't. Alex sighed, standing up. She went to the door and looked out the peephole. 

_Joe? Colby?_ Alex opened the door. "Hey, guys... What's up?"

"You said we were going to _Woods & Langston _ today, so here we are," Colby said, stepping inside without waiting for an invite. Alex rolled her eyes at him, but gladly let Joe in right after. "Do I smell pancakes?"

"Dad's making breakfast," she answered, shrugging her shoulders. "That means he's making just about everything." Her father didn't do things in halves. "Are you hungry?"

Colby and Joe nodded. 

"My dad was in a mood again, so we dipped before he could passive-aggressively offer us food," Joe explained. 

Alex didn't know if she wanted to question what passive-aggressive food offering looked like. It seemed like it was something that would ruin anyone's morning. "Well, welcome to the _Kingston Bed & Breakfast! _ Have a super fly time in paradise!" 

"Ew."

The trio turned around to see Jon sleepily stumbling down the stairs, his hair messy and his eyes half-closed. Alex immediately noticed that he was void of a shirt and his jeans were low on his hips, showing off the indents of his hips. She felt her face grow hot and began to fidget with the hem of her shirt, trying not to stare.

Jon scratched his stomach, making it to the bottom of the steps. "That was the cheesiest thing I've ever heard in my life, Doc. Ya gotta do better than that." 

Once again, Alex rolled her eyes. "It is _way_ too early to be clever, smart ass."

"Ouch. That was better, but I'd prefer it if you didn't aim the mean words at me. I'm soft."

Colby laughed. "Like _sandpaper._ " There wasn't a soft thing about Jon. The boy could tell them that his mom was barbed wire and his dad was an electric saw, and he'd believe it. 

"Eat a dick, Colby." Jon flipped Colby the bird and then gave a nod of acknowledgement to Joe. Joe nodded back, smiling. 

"I'd rather have some pancakes." Colby smirked and followed his nose into the kitchen. Joe sauntered over to the couch, picking up the remote and flicking through the channels. Alex didn't know if she should be worried by the level of disregard both boys had when it came to tact. 

_They just better be glad I missed them. I could kick them out at any moment, really. But, I won't. This has been the longest month ever._ A hand rested on Alex's shoulder. She looked away from Joe watching the most recent recording of Raw - there was some guy in gold and black latex, wearing a blond wig - and saw Jon looking at her. It was the same look he'd been giving her all of last night. 

"Mornin'."

"Morning." She gulped. If he kissed her, she was likely to let out the loudest squeak of surprise known to man. "How ya doin'?"

Jon shrugged his shoulders. "Good, I guess. I slept pretty well, actually. Your mom knocked on my door and gave me a toothbrush, so after brush my teeth, I open my door and I heard somethin' bout pancakes, so I came down."

Alex refrained from rolling her eyes for a third time. It would likely result in her developing bad habit of it, and she couldn't afford to one day be fire from a job for rolling her eyes at her boss. "Yeah, I guess pancakes are a good reason to socialize. I, personally, would run for some home fries and sausage, but to each their o- _a-augh!_ " Alex jumped away from Jon's hand that wandered to her ass, covering her mouth and shooting a frightened look at the back of Joe's head. The Samoan was too wrapped up in the match he was watching. _Oh, thank goodness he didn't see that!_

Jon smirked. "I got outta bed 'cause I figured you'd be down here." 

Unable to speak, Alex just nodded. He was definitely flirting with her. There was no denying it now, in the light of day. 

"C'mere," Jon said, beckoning her closer. "Lemme give ya _a hug._ "

"A hug?" She wasn't stupid. Alex had eyes, and the hard-on growing in his pants would be difficult to miss. "Yeah, right!"

"Fine." Jon grinned. "I just lookin' to touch ya. Happy?"

Alex's eyes darted to the back of Joe's head once more. He was now chanting along with the crowd each time the referee got down on the mat to count. She looked back at Jon. "Why don't you come over here instead?" 

Jon grinned wider. "We should play doctor some time," he suggested, stepping closer to Alex. He winked as she got a shy smile on her face. "Yeah, you'd like that."

_Gosh, he has no problem saying the dirtiest of things._ "You know, most friends like to go to the movies, hang out at the park and make fun of each other." Alex huffed, trying to keep herself steady and confident as she said what ate at her for an hour after she left his room last night. "They don't grope each other and flirt - at least not seriously."

Because he never had to fake his confidence, and he lived life on the edge, Jon asked her, "Does that mean we're somethin' more?" without hesitation. 

"M-Maybe."

From the couch, Joe jumped up and howled, throw his arms in the air. "That's what I'm talking about!"

Jon and Alex smiled at each other. It sounded like Joe was cheering them on, and they pretended he was, and not just cheering for his favorite wrestlers. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

Jon dropped his fork. "A-Are you... _Is this for real?_ " 

"Yes," Alex's mother answered, nodding her head. "If you want to or need to, you can stay here. We only ask that you help out around the house."

The half-chewed bit of sausage in Jon's mouth began to lose flavor as his other senses were overwhelmed. His eyes stung as he felt tears pricking them. His hands felt numb but the rest of his body was on fire as it dawned on him that these strangers were kinder than his parents could've ever been. He sniffled, and had to clear his throat right after to cover the vulnerability the sound unveiled. 

"Yes, please. Thank you."

Jon found a home, and they were letting him _stay._

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Please, don't eat the finger paint!" Damien Sandow tried to tell one of the kids in his art class. Even if the paint was non-toxic, that thought of allowing a child to ingest it made him distressed. "Here, uses these crayons and draw me a picture of your family," he told the little eight-year-old. The boy nodded, taking the 64-box from him. 

Mr. Sandow walked around the room, commenting on the work of the students in the room and giving them advice. They ranged from the ages of six to sixteen, all with varying levels of skill and enthusiasm. No matter where they were at, Mr. Sandow appreciated the time they took to express themselves. Expression was a very important part of growing up and shaping your identity. 

A knock on his door made him look at the clock. His class wasn't over, so certainly it wasn't someone asking if the fashion teacher, Ms. Rae, could take over the room. "Come in."

A smiling face peeked into the class, a delicate hand waving shyly. "Hello, Mr. Sandow."

"Alex!" He threw his arms upon the air, smiling back at the young woman. She used to be one of the kids he regularly saw in his room, doodling and practicing landscape paintings. "I haven't seen you around in ages. How are you?"

Alex slipped into the room, holding onto the doorknob with on hand as if preparing to immediately leave. She politely waved to the students who either stared curiously at her or waved back. Looking back to her former art teacher, Alex said, "Just brought some friends over, and I thought I'd say hi while here."

"Ah, I see. Where are your friends?"

She opened the door, revealing three boys who were engrossed in looking at the collage of this month's best artworks. They turned around when the light in Mr. Sandow's class illuminated a child's pinned up aluminum foil bunny. 

"Hello!" _Perhaps I can get some more students._ "Welcome to _Woods & Langston! _ Do any of you like art?"

It was a disappointment to see all three boys cringe. One even went so far as to turn his back on him, chuckling and shaking his head of messy curls as if he heard the world's best joke. Mr. Sandor glared at the auburn haired boy's back. _Ignoramus._

"Uh...we'll just be going now," Alex piped up, trying to diffuse the situation. "Bye, Mr. S!" She quickly escaped, closing the door behind her. 

Mr. Sandow looked at his class. "Next week, we will be collaborating with Ms. Rae, Mr. Rhodes and Ms. Stiles to help them with their production of their play, _Stardust..._ "

~*~*~*~*~*~

Alex pointed to a painting. "Doesn't that look like a duck? I think it looks like a duck." She tilted her head to the side.

Jon followed where her finger was pointing, inspecting the painting with a deep frown. "Yeah... Either that or a coked out Big Bird."

"The kid who painted this sat next to me. He told me it was Winnie the Pooh. I had to stare at her for five minutes straight, wondering why Pooh had feathers."

"Why was she drawing Pooh?" Colby asked, running his hand over a piece of art that had layers of what looked trash glued together to make a collage of _something._

"'Cause we were supposed to draw what made us happy."

Joe snickered. "You drew a book, didn't you?" He flicked a chain of large beads pinned to the wall, noting that each bead had a name on it. 

"I-I..." Alex pursed her lips and pretended to look interested in a landscape painting of a sunset on the ocean. 

"That's what I thought."

All three boys laughed as Alex walked away from them before following behind her. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

"It's a new day! Yes, it is," Ettore Langston, better known as Big E, told the group of kids he counseled. "That's means you must take this new day, this new opportunity and seize it. Shape your day to fit the roll you want in the future. Taking those little steps ensures you will set yourself on the right path. No matter where you've been, who you've lost, why you're here now, just know that you are in control of your present. With that power y - " Big E looked at the clock on the wall and paused. "Oh, looks like its lunch. Talk to y'all tomorrow."

As soon as Big E stepped out of the room, his eyes caught sight of the tall girl in a black t-shirt, black jeans and purple Nikes. He knew exactly who that was. 

"Alexandria!" 

Said girl turned away from looking at a bulletin board with Colby, eyes searching for whoever was calling her. Once her eyes landed on Big E, she surprisingly took off in a run toward him. 

Jon, a little concerned, didn't know if he should follow. He was used to adults wanting to hurt him after calling his name. It shocked him when Alex wrapped her arms around the thick man and was _lifted_ up into the air and spun around. He was a little jealous he wasn't holding Alex like that. 

Alex laughed, holding on. "Hey! How are you! Dad called and told you I was comin' over, right?"

Big E nodded. "I'm _great!_ And yeah, your old man called and I was really excited to see you. You haven't been here in over two months. How have you been? You usually drop by about once a week. What happened?"

Not knowing if her father told him the story or not, Alex kept it vague. "School, friends and _life_ have been getting crazy. Uh, actually, I'm here with some friends right now. Wanna meet them?" She was already waving the boys over. 

The first thing Big E noticed about the young men in front of him was that they looked like a group of troublemakers. Not the funny kind, but the rough kind. Yeah, the two-toned one bounced a little on the balls of his feet like an impatient child, and the one with the longest hair smiled, and the last boy - actually, no. The last boy looked like the most trouble with the way he fidgeted and sneered at the walls that were decorated with artwork and colorful flyers. The other two looked like they were nearly as manic as him, but not quite. 

"Hello," Big E greeted regardless of what he saw. He knew that many people hid their true selves underneath guises of whatever they wanted people to see. "I'm Ettore Langston, but y'all can call me Big E. Everyone does."

The first one to greet him was the two-toned boy. "Hi! I'm Colby. Colby Lopez." He reached out and shook Big E's hand. 

_Nice kid. Nice kid,_ Big E thought, nodding a little. 

Next, the long-haired boy. "Hey. I'm, uh, Joe," he said, his voice deeper than Big E expected. He, too, shook Big E's hand. "Nice to meet you, sir."

_Really polite. Good, good._

The third one didn't get any closer, studying Big E with his head cocked to the side. He jerked his chin up, acknowledging Big E. "I'm Jon." No offering of his hand. 

Almost immediately, Big E recognized the subtle signs of an abused child. He worked with kids for many years now, and sadly, he became an expert at spotting one that's been through far too much in their short life. And this one, wow, he must have had it rough. From the hardened eyes to the clenching jaw and fists, Big E could see it. Jon was one of those lost souls looking for a home. 

"Mr. Langston is a counselor and the _Langston_ in _Woods & Langston. _ He and my father went to school together, and I've known him since I was a baby."

Big E didn't miss how Jon seemed to brighten as Alex talked. He would have to ask Kofi about his daughter's relationship with the boy. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

"LOUDER! LOUDER! I CAN'T HEAR YOU, NATTIE! YOU EITHER, EMMA! _LOUDER!_ " Xavier Woods yelled at his band class. He raised his hands, open palm, and quickly lowered them and closing his hands. The awful din ceased. " _What was that?!_ "

His students said nothing, knowing that if they had practiced the new piece like he told them to, they wouldn't sound like the train wreck they were. 

Xavier lifted his precious trombone he adoringly named Francesca. With his eyebrows coming together and his eyes alight with fury, he gave one long blow of the instrument, making many cover their ears. "PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT! PEFFECT MAKES SUCCESS! SUCCESS GETS Y'ALL THE CHANCE TO COME BACK HERE ONE DAY AND TELL ME YOU MADE IT BIG! NOW, ARE YOU SERIOUS ABOUT MY CLASS," he clicked his tongue, " _OR NAH?_ " 

A couple kids groaned at the tired out pop culture reference. 

"What was that?" He blew on Francesca once more. "I THOUGHT I HEARD A COUPLE OF WHINERS! DID I?"

A chorus of exasperated _no_ 's filled the air. 

"Okay, let's take it from the t - "

The bell rang. Xavier suddenly found himself with an empty classroom. He frowned. If those kids didn't start taking things seriously, they would find themselves realizing that they were sorely unprepared for adulthood. 

Xavier strolled to the mess hall, where free lunches were prepared for children. Once inside, he noticed the absence of co-founder. _Big E is never late... I bet he bumped into Alexandria in the hall._

Sure enough, five minutes after Xavier got a plate of pizza, Big E strolled in with Alex and three boys behind him. "Look who I found loitering the halls like some hooligan."

"She's a _delinquent,_ " Xavier teased, grinning at Alex. 

"A street tough," Big E added on. 

"A ruffian."

"A thug."

"A gangster."

Alex made a noise of protest before one of them could spout off anymore synonymous words for the common hooligan. "You guys are worse than my father when he gets into his rant modes." 

"Thank you," both men chorused. 

Xavier waved a slice of pizza at the boys before taking a bite. With a full mouth, he asked, "Who are y'all?" in a garbled jumble from the mass of cheese and dough. 

Alex quickly introduced the boys, her hand inching toward Xavier's plate. "Jon, Colby and Joe. My friends. I brought 'em here to meet y'all since this place was - _is_ my second home." 

Xavier nodded, slapping Alex's hand away. "Thief." He ripped the second slice of pizza in half, handing the other half, along with a napkin, to Alex. "Here, kid. Take this one."

"Thank you," Alex said, mind her manners. 

Xavier nodded. She was practically his niece. He'd share. Besides, he had another full slice left. 

Big E looked to the boys. "Y'all can go get some food, if you want. What's up there, X?"

"Pizza, salads, chicken nuggets and some dessert. I think it's pudding. I dunno."

Joe and Colby left to get some of the mouthwatering options. Before he left, Jon asked if Alex wanted anything. 

"Oh, thanks. Another slice would be good." Jon walked off, leaving Alex with her surrogate uncles. "By the way, guys, are you comin' to my graduation?"

Both of the owners of the community center gave Alex the same look her mother got when talking to everyone, but a little less judgmental. Alex nodded. She should have known they would definitely be there. 

"We are gonna embarrass you," Big E sang, smiling devilishly. 

Xavier laughed. "I'm bring Francesca. You're gonna have a party going on for you as your name is called." 

"Never mind. Don't come, please."

"You know," Big E said, putting an arm around Alex, "You have your mother's sense of humor."


	12. The Mothers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mom's come in all shapes, sizes and levels of capability in parenting. 
> 
> Warning: some homophobic comments made by one of the less capable mothers. Thankfully, a capable dad shuts her down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ambrosia Good. Stephanie McMahon-Levesque. Patricia Anoa'i. Sarona Kingston. Julia Hamer-Bevis.

It was inevitable. One day, she was going to witness all of his drama at its rawest form. He was around her too often for it not to happen. 

But, why the fuck did it have to happen like this?

~*~*~*~*~*~

"I'm going in with you."

Jon tried his best to stare down Mr. Kingston, but that was hard to do when the man was literally the reason as to why he felt safe for the past week. He'd let Jon stay in his house, eat his food and sleep in one of his rooms. 

Jon couldn't remember the last time someone cared about him enough to tell him there was a curfew he had to stick to and that he had to get up in the morning, bright and early, for his final few weeks of school. It was comforting to know someone was watching over him. 

"Mr. Kingston, I can't... You don't hafta come in here," Jon replied, pointing a thumb over his shoulder at the brick building behind him that was littered with graffiti. "Just stay in the car, and I'll come back with the rest of my stuff."

A sigh. "Jon, I don't feel comfortable letting you go in there alone. I'm not letting you go up without me. I allowed it when you were just getting clothes for the week 'cause I knew it would be quick, but your taking _everything_ with you now. I'm coming with you."

It was hard to fight against him, especially when Jon was scared himself to go into his apartment alone. He knew his mother was home this time, and based on the familiar cars parked on the street, she had company over. Mr. Kingston really didn't have to do this. 

From the street, a black car's horn blared. Jon looked over to see Joe leaning out the window. The backseat held his rowdy cousins who were sitting on either side of Colby. From the passenger seat, Alex grinned at Jon, giving him support even from yards away. 

Jon gave a half-smile back. _She took my seat._ He had been in the passenger seat of the car, Mr. Kingston and Alex following in another car behind them as Jon directed Joe to his building. Alex's little mischievous side was adorable. 

Mr. Kingston pointed at the car full of teens. "I think they're getting antsy."

Jon nodded. "I'll go - "

"I'm coming with you."

He didn't protest this time, slipping his key out of his pocket and unlocking the door. He ascended the stairs, Mr. Kingston following after silently. When they got to his door, Jon had to pause and intake a deep breath of air. He unlocked the door and pushed it open. 

"...Baby, is that you?"

It hurt. _Goddamn,_ it hurt to hear his mother's voice as she called out to him. Even with her slurring her words at 11:30AM from too much alcohol, he could still hearing the person she once was underneath it all. It got even worse when she rounded the corner, staring up at her son with her pupils blown wide, her clothes raggedy and the stench of alcohol wafting off of her in thick, suffocating waves. 

"Wh-who is this?" She hiccups, teetering slightly on her feet. She balances herself against the wall. "Friend?" She was definitely leering now, thinking she could get a client out of an honest, faithful man like Mr. Kingston.

She was corrected swiftly and coldly. "I'm a grown man. I don't make friends with kids, I have, however, been the one taking care of _yours._ A job you should be doing, Miss." He said a couple more things, but they were muttered in Ghanaian patois. Jon was 110% sure it was all curse words. 

"I-I-I take care of my son!" Ms. Ambrose yelled, her face turning red. She tried to point an accusing finger at Mr. Kingston, but it was off by a couple inches. "Ya can't come up in here, with yer fancy suits a-and yer high and m-mighty attitude, and t-tell me about how to raise my son! I bet you don't have a fucking kid, do you?"

To his credit, Mr. Kingston looked like the picture of calm. Jon was dangerously close to going off on his mother for the audacity she had to act like she was a saint and took care of him. "Actually, I do. I have a daughter, and unlike you, I've taken care of her and appreciated her with everything I have."

"She's gonna be nothing but a fucking whore, just like every other - "

It was Jon this time, jumping in and cutting off Mr. Kingston's furious bellow with his own. "SHUT THE FUCK UP! You don't know _nothing!_ You ain't the one who picked me up off the street and took me into your house to keep me from dyin'! You didn't risk any dangers to help me out. You were the one who was the _reason_ I was even out on these streets!" Jon was five seconds from punching a hole in the wall. The feeling of a hand on his shoulder made him stop. 

"Go get your stuff," was all Mr. Kingston had to say. Jon didn't want to be in this place any longer than he had to. He complied, heading to his small room. He shoved open his closet door, pulled out a couple duffle bags and began to fill them with all of his clothes, all of his important shit and even a couple things he knew were somewhat valuable. He knew that if he left it, his mother would pawn it off for drugs and booze. 

The only calming thought he had while packing was that when he was done, he'd get the chance to go downstairs and hitch a ride with Mr. Kingston and Alex instead of riding with Joe, his wild ass cousins and Colby. He'd enjoy the chance to sit in the backseat and stare at Alex's profile as she would talk with her father. Everything would be fine then because he would be coming home with them, not staying here. He wouldn't have to stay here again. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Get off of me! Jon - _Jon,_ you can't leave me! Honey, I'm sick, you can't just l-leave! I'm scared, Jon, _please!_ " He might have believed her if he hadn't experienced that same old song and dance that one time he ran away when he was ten. She was crying crocodile tears right now, and he couldn't have felt more disgusted and irritated. 

Ambrosia Good tried to grab her son's arm as he followed the man in the suit down the stairs. Her, uh, "guests," were still back in her apartment, too high to have noticed she'd left them since the moment she saw her son. 

Jon shrugged her off of him, nearly dropping his bags on the stairwell. Without a word, Mr. Kingston took two of the four bags from Jon and told him he'd put them in the car and give Jon a chance to say goodbye to his mother. Jon didn't want that, but he figured it would be best to let his mom know he never wanted to see her face again. 

She smiled, thinking she was getting a chance to persuade her son into staying with her. "Jon, baby, please come back inside. You know I'm sick and I do things I wouldn't normally do, but I promise I'll go get help and get better. I promise! I'll do it for you - I swear, no more of the drugs and the drinking. I'll - "

"I think the last time I trusted you was when you said you'd get better so Lizzie could stay with us." His words instantly silenced her. "I thought that you was really gonna do it. I thought you were gonna let my cousin, a sweet little seven-year-old who didn't do nothin' to hurt nobody, stay with us forever. Thought we'd be a happy family. But, you fucked it up. You... You like Child Protective Services take Lizzie away. Now, I'll never see her again."

"That wasn't my fault! I tried so hard and - "

Jon punched the wall by her head, breathing heavily and trying so damn hard to control himself. "Don't. Fuckin'. Lie! I coulda taken care of her! I loved her, but you loved gettin' high! You ruin every fuckin' thing for me. I hate you." He growled lowly, backing away, down the stairs. "Don't ever try to talk to me again. I'll call the cops, and you'll get locked up. _I promise_." 

She tried to follow him, running out the door and to the front of the building, calling his name. 

Jon felt the hot flame of embarrassment burn his skin as he shoved the rest of his belongings into Mr. Kingston's car. Alex was already back in her father's car, waiting for Jon. He couldn't meet her eye as he slid into the backseat, his mother's screams alternating between pleas and insults. Mr. Kingston glanced in the rear view mirror, making eye contact with Jon. Silently, he told the man to just drive and get them all the hell away from his crazy mother. 

"You ungrateful brat! I did everything for you - _everything!_ This is how you repay me? I had to fucking suffer because I loved you so much! I put my body up for sale because I just wanted to give you a good home. I - Jon, I can't do this alone! Don't leave me like your father! Please, I'm so sick, sweetheart. I just need help! Jon? Jon! _Don't fucking ignore me, you bitch!_ "

They left her there, crying on the sidewalk and calling after the son that would never come back. It was what she deserved - to wallow in her shame and the emptiness her actions left her. Nothing more, nothing less.

Alex turned around in her seat, giving Jon the most tender look he'd ever received. "You okay?"

He wanted to say yeah, he was gonna be fine and fuck that bitch, but that was a lie. He was heartbroken and wondering why the hell he wasn't good enough to be loved by either of his parents. "No," Jon answered, feeling a lump in his throat and his eyes stinging. He stared out the window as the neighborhood that raised him passed by in a dismal, dirty blur. 

"Well," Alex started, her tone becoming light and almost soothing, "good riddance, right?" She reached her arm back, offering her hand to Jon.

He took it, holding her hand tightly in his own, glad for the anchor in the chaos. " _Right._ "

~*~*~*~*~*~

"I don't like that Colby is hanging out with those... Those middle-class people." 

Paul Levesque listened to his wife, Stephanie, as she went on and on about their adoptive son's choice of friends. Until recently, Colby didn't spend much time with anyone outside of school unless his mother forced him to attend one of her social gatherings. 

"Oh, leave him alone, Steph. He's finally acting like a normal kid. He has friends now, and they seem to like 'em. I mean, that Alexandria girl has a good GPA according to your father. Uh, the Joseph guy had decent grades when in school, too."

"But, that Jonathan, that lowlife has no business - "

"Stephanie, he's enjoying himself. That's all that matters. He's acting like a normal kid, getting into a little trouble, hanging out with his friends and sleeping over at - "

"Ugh, don't remind me. I can't believe Colby had the nerve to flaunt his disgusting - "

Paul had to stop his wife there. It wasn't Colby's fault he was born the way he was. His wife had no right, after all the nights they both cried over the children they could never have biologically, to judge the gift they were graced with in the form of Colby. "Don't go there."

"Don't go there? _Don't go there?!_ Our son is a-a-a - he's a gay!"

Paul pursed his lips at the way Stephanie said the words. "Do you love him less because of it?" He had to know. Over the years, Stephanie's increasing lack of tolerance for anything and everything was getting on his nerves. He was starting to resent his wife, and her harping on their son widened the gap between them even more. 

Stephanie seemed at a loss for words. She could do nothing but gape at her husband. 

With a heavy sigh, Paul got up from their bed. "Fuck, Steph, you're certainly not the woman I married. I-I can't even look at you. I'm sleeping in the guest room tonight." He didn't wait for a response, walking out and slamming the door behind him. On his way to the guest room, he passed by his son's room. He poked his head in. 

Colby was on the phone, staring up at the ceiling and laughing at the words of whoever was on the other end of the line. He looked so content that Paul couldn't understand why his wife couldn't get past her prejudices to see that Colby was doing better than they'd ever seen him. He was far more interactive, alert and confident. He was exactly how Paul wanted his son to be, and there was nothing in this world that could make him hate his son the way Stephanie seemed to.

The brown eyed boy turned over on his side, spotting his tall, blond father out in the hall. He grinned widely, waving at him. 

Paul waved back. _That Joseph boy better not break his heart._ Paul would have to kill the kid then. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

"If he goes into the business, and they find out he's different, they're gonna tear him to shreds, Patty! I don't want my son to feel like the world is on his shoulders because of some assholes who think they know what's best for him!"

"Sika, honey, that is _his_ choice to make. You can't just shelter him from everything and get pissed when he doesn't agree with you. Joe knows what he wants, we have to accept it. We have to accept him."

"I do accept him!" The insinuation that he didn't was insulting. "He's my youngest son, my baby boy... I can't... If they hurt him, they'll hurt me."

"We are the Anoa'i family. We are strong. They hurt us, we hurt them even worse. He will take our strength with him when he goes out there to entertain people just like his father."

Sika didn't know what to say. On one hand, he was terrified of what people would do to his boy. On the other hand, he wanted his son to be happy with the career he wanted. "I don't know what to do, Patty."

"That is why Joe is the one making the decision. He knows. _He knows._ " 

~*~*~*~*~*~

It was strange, now, for Alex. Her relationship with her mother had changed so drastically all in the course of just a few days. She never thought she'd be in her parents' bedroom, stretched across the bed, talking to her mother who sat at the vanity and applied her makeup. 

It was her mom and dad's anniversary, and Alex was enthralled as she watched her mother put on makeup, answer Alex's questions and give insight about the ordeal with Jon and his mother. 

"If you ask me, bitches like that don't deserve kids. I hate that so many people grow up in homes like that. I would never... Alex, you're my baby. If anyone were to neglect you, I'd have to stomp them into the ground with my Jimmy Choo heels."

Alex laughed. Her mother was funnier than Alex originally thought. And she finally stopped calling her Alexandria. "Thanks, Mummy. That's an interesting picture you've painted."

Through the mirror, Sarona Kingston looked eyes with her daughter. "I'm completely serious though. I'd do anything to keep you safe."

"I'm know that now. I appreciate it. I love you."

Sarona could feel the tears well up in her eyes. " _Shit,_ you're going to make me mess up my makeup!"

Once more, Alex laughed. 

"Anyway, I don't know when your father and I will be home, so don't stay up _too_ late. Tomorrow is Friday, and you and Jon have to sign out of school. There's gonna be some money I'll leave for y'all to order pizza."

Alex nodded, smiling brightly at the mention of her and Jon signing out of school. It was a miracle, but Alex managed to explain his situation to teachers well enough to make them give him some extra credit project that counted for enough points to just barely get him a passing final grade. It didn't hurt that since Alex had no work to do, she spent her time helping Jon and writing thank you notes to the teachers (man, they ate that shit up), making some of them bump his grades up even higher. 

Jon hugged her tight for at least ten minutes when he found out he was graduating with her and could attend prom if he wanted. Mr. Kingston graciously bought Jon a suit and Mrs. Kingston had already paid for the tickets, hoping that her daughter would find a date before the big day came. 

"Cool. I'm just gonna invite everyone I know over, and we'll throw a party. Joe can pass for 21 and get us some liquor."

Sarona shot an unimpressed look at her joking daughter. "Not funny, Alex."

"Sorry, sorry..." Alex rolled over onto her back, looking up at the ceiling. "It'll just be Jon and I," she said, realizing the enormity of that. _Oh, shit. It'll just be Jon and I._ Alex tried not to show any signs of excitement, knowing it would make her mother suspicious. 

Ever since he had moved in and began flirting with Alex - actually, it was more like flirting more aggressively - she'd anticipated spending time with him alone. She wanted to know if what he was hinting at was something for long-term or just a hook-up. She didn't do hook-ups. She wanted to full deal, top-notch package with an extended warranty. 

Sarona looked over her makeup one last time before standing. She grabbed her purse, slipped on her heels and watched as Alex rolled off the bed to follow behind her. "Yeah, it'll just be you two, so don't burn my house down, okay? I'll ground you forever if you do."

"I hear ya loud and clear."

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Raya... Raya, please, come out of your room. I just want to talk t- "

"Leave me alone!" an outraged screech interrupted, cutting off the mother on the other side of the black painted bedroom door. "You never listen to me, but you expect me to just open the door and listen to you? It's not fair!"

Rage filled Julia as she listened to her child disrespect her. "You know what? Fine! Fuckin' stay in there! I don't want to see your face anyway!" She kicked the door with her boot. "You're being a bloody prat!"

From inside of the bedroom, Saraya wiped at her eyes and stared at the old photo of her and her father. She was dressed up in a pink onesie, smiling happily as her father held her in his arms, also smiling at the camera. It was the only photo she managed to snag before her mother burned the rest in an attempt to erase his memory. 

"I miss you," she found herself whispering to the picture, her voice cracking. In all her life, she never met a person quite like her father. He was intimidating, stern and brutally honest, yeah, but he was also sweet, understanding and seemed to know just what to do to fix a problem. He would give her the best hugs, wrapping her in his large arms, and saying in his deep voice, "Love you, Raya," and she knew he meant it. 

Her mother was the opposite. She was cold, distant and constantly showing nothing but disdain for Saraya as she got older. Perhaps it was because he daughter looked just like her, and she could picture Saraya falling for a man like her father, or perhaps it was because Saraya had the capacity for kindness that her father did - both of these things being a problem because Julia hated Mark Calaway's guts to her very core. It was hard to tell because the woman never opened up and acted like she was interested in a damn thing her daughter cared about. 

It was hard to build a relationship with someone like that. If Saraya were allowed to get out a word without needing to raise her voice, she would tell her mother that there was no way she would fall in love with a man like her father because 1) she was pretty sure none existed and 2) she would much rather be with a woman. 

But, she'd just be talking to deaf ears if she got the chance. 

Loud knocking on her door made Saraya jump, glancing over her shoulder at the door. "Open up!" Julia shouted.

"No!" 

"Fuckin' hell, girl! Ya know what? You're gettin' outta my house, and - and I will send you to your damn father! We'll let him handle your spoiled, ungrateful ass, and then we'll see who ya come crawlin' back to!"

Saraya almost hopped off her bed and danced. Almost. "W-What?"

"Pack your shit! Your days are numbered here, love! You're out by the end of the week!"

"Good! He'll take much better care of me than you!"

"W-Well, fine! We'll see!"

_Yes, we'll see..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I added on another mother that wasn't in the original publishing as a little bonus for you guys!


	13. The Theater

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Y'all should already be able to guess how the ending will be. I mean, public establishments owned by anyone other than The New Day, the SHIELD and Alex don't mix well.

_"Mark,_

_I just can't do it anymore. It's gotten out of hand, and there is nothing more I can do. I'm done. I - "_

His hands were shaking. Why were his hands shaking? He was supposed to be stronger than this, stronger than anything. Nothing was supposed to frighten him in any way, shape or form. 

_"- can't keep her anymore. She's out of control, and it's disrupting the last bit of sanity I have after being with you. I don't know -"_

Where was Glenn? Was he still in the house? Fuck, his legs were shaking, too. Mark needed to sit down. 

_"- what to do about her. She's destructive, angry and hates me. She thinks you're probably a better parent. Why, I don't know. You ruined what we had when you -"_

He didn't miss that condescending tone. His ex-wife never spoke to him like the person he was a year after their marriage. It was always her using a superior tone, as if he were a child who couldn't get a fucking clue. He hated it, and he didn't mind vocalizing his issues to her. That was what most of their fights were about, and then they began to fight about everything else because nothing made her happy. 

_"- decided to choose wrestling over us. She thinks you'll love her more. I think she's a foolish teen with too many unrealistic ideas. She could never - "_

Mark growled. Raya's feelings were valid, especially after living ten years with her evil mother. He'd take Raya into his home in a heartbeat. He was finally going to see his daughter. It had been so long...

_"- go through what I went through and do as well. I'm sending her to you, and you're gonna finally try and act like a father for once._

_With Love,  
S."_

Was it strange he even hated the way she signed off her letters? Ugh. Fuck it. Mark had bigger fish to fry. 

He had to get the guest room ready and tell Glenn to not sneak around anymore. He didn't want his daughter freaking out about her creepy uncle who spoke in one-liners and had the most unsettling disposition. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

The first thing she noticed as she got off the plan, was that it was incredibly gloomy outside. Rain poured down from the sky almost immediately after passengers started to exit the plane, thunder booming loudly. Saraya-Jade Bevis wondered if this was a bad omen. 

She expected to see her father waiting for her, holding up a sign, like they did in the movies, with her name scrawled over it. She thought there would be an emotional reunion, the pair embracing, a few tears she'd that would mess up both of their carefully applied eyeliner. She was so sure her giant father, the one who used to read her bedtime stories and tucked her in, would be waiting on her arrival. However, there was just a man in a cowboy hat waiting with the sign. 

"Ms. Bevis?"

She nodded, disappointed but hopeful still. Her mother wouldn't have been here or sent anyone. Her father was still showing he was much kinder than her mother. 

"Come with me. Your father wanted for you to know he was having trouble closing up his gym early," the man said, gesturing for Saraya to follow behind him. She did as ask, breathing out a sigh of relief. 

_He's just busy. He's not avoiding you, Raya._

Saraya found herself in front of a black Cadillac, the man opening the door for her. She slipped inside, impressed by the expensive vehicle her father got for her to be brought to his home. She laughed, remembering him being the type to ridiculously spoil her even when her mother said no. 

The car pulled off. "We should be there in just a moment. When we get there, your uncle will let you inside, Ms. Bevis."

Saraya nodded, busy pushing the button to make the window roll up and down until there was just enough of a breeze to cool and calm her while also keeping her hair from going everywhere. 

Looking out the window, Saraya remembered the streets of Cincinnati. She may have lost her American accent, but she never lost her childhood memories. Her mother couldn't erase those from her life, no matter how hard she tried. 

The local high school had what looked like lowerclassmen just getting dismissed. _Santino's_ and _Slater & Young's _ had hordes of hungry citizens flooding inside. Even _Woods & Langston _ had some children filing out for the evening. One particular group stood out from the rest, looking a little out of place in the bright, colorful atmosphere the community center held. 

The one Saraya noticed upon her first glance was the girl who stood in the middle of her three companions, waving goodbye to the owners of the place. She grinned, spinning on her heel to face the boys, promptly directing them to begin walking. 

A boy with messy blonde and dark brown hair bumped shoulders with a taller boy who had long black hair, babbling loudly and without pause. Even Saraya could hear what he was saying. 

Lastly, the boy with messy brown hair, was the most interesting to see as she passed by. He was tugging on the sleeve of the girl, and if he wasn't doing that, he was hooking his fingers in her jean belt loops, pulling her closer to him. It was blatant flirting, and the girl seemed to be aware, draping her arm across his broad shoulder. 

_They look like a nice group of friends..._ Saraya was a bit jealous. She never had any friends that stuck growing up, her mother made sure of that, and it made her awkward at socializing. Most people assumed she was some sort of evil demon woman, looking to host satanic rituals at her house, but honestly, she just preferred the look. It reminded her of her father. 

"We've arrived, Ms. Bevis."

Saraya jumped at the unexpected announcement from her chauffer. She hadn't realized she was staring into space until he spoke. He was standing there, holding the car door open for her to exit. She could see behind him that her luggage was piled up on the porch. "Um... Thank you, mister...?"

"Layfield. Have a good evening, Ms. Bevis." He tipped his cowboy hat and hopped back in the car, driving off of her father's property. 

Slowly, Saraya walked up the stairs, remembered the last time she was here. Her mother had grabbed her arm and dragged her from the house, down the steps and to her car, and that was the last Saraya saw of this house. The feeling of nostalgia hit her like a ton of bricks, knocking her breath away. She couldn't Hepburn stand there and stare at the front door, knowing that when she stepped through it, her life would change. 

Good. She needed change. 

Stepping off of the welcome mat, Saraya reached underneath to grab the key and unlock the door. It swung open without the eerie creak she expected, and that was another calming factor that made her walk inside. 

In reality, nothing changed much. Her father was very old school and liked keeping things the way they were. He still had his fireplace, with the black and gold mantle that held pictures of her as a child on it. There was still the scent of sandalwood in the air. Over by the armchair her father favored sitting in, there was the bed for Hades, her father's dog that he'd always wanted. Even that seemed to be familiar. She always wanted a dog, too.

Saraya began to start transporting her luggage from the porch and into the house. When that was finished, she wandered upstairs, trying to remember if her old bedroom had been the first door on the left or the second on the right. She tried the second bedroom on the right, and smiled at the purple and black scheme. This was definitely her room. 

Now, she just had to figure out how to get all of her shit up the stairs. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

"How did you even get my number?" Alex asked into the phone, scratching her cheek as she inspected the shelf of potato chips inter convenience store. The boys were wandering around somewhere in the other aisles, likely making a mess or pissing off the elderly. Alex didn't know, and she didn't want to know. 

Mark grumbled something unintelligible before saying, " _Don't matter none, girl. Now, answer my question. Do girls your age think arcades are lame?_ "

With an eye roll, Alex sighed. She picked up the bag of Cool Ranch Doritos. She put it back down and walked a little further down the aisle. "I dunno. Depends inter type of girl, I guess. I love arcades, but I know this girl named Lana who gets irritated by all the lights and noise. And people." _But, that might just be because Lana has a bad attitude._

" _That... That really don't help me. I ain't askin' 'bout that. Do the other girls, the majority of the ones ya know, like 'em?_ "

"Yeah." _I just never went with any of them to play games, and they never offered._ "Why are you asking anyway?" She picked up a plastic package of sour gummy worms. 

" _Don't matter none. Quit askin' so many questions. I didn't call ya to listen to this._ " 

_Then why are you calling me of all people? This is so weird._ "If ya say so." She walked to the aisle with the fridges, pulling out an Arizona. _Yay, they've got Mucho Mango!_

" _Where are ya at?_ "

"Are you some creep? I mean, you totally didn't give off the vibes of some freaky - "

" _My daughter is stayin' with me, an I thought it'd be nice for her to have a friend. I just wanted to know 'cause she's waitin' on me to come home, but it looks like I'll be closin' up late. I don't want her to be alone._ "

 _Oh._ That was far less weird than what she was thinking. "O-Oh. I'm at _Wyatt Market._ I was going to go to the movies with the guys."

" _Are you grateful enough for my advice to pay for Raya's ticket and snacks?_ "

Of course she was. "Yeah... Um, can you tell her to meet us at _Hart Theaters?_ It isn't too far from your place and she should make it there in the same time as us."

" _Thanks, kid._ "

"No problem. We'll spend the evening corrupting your daughter only _a little_ bye!"

Jon came up behind Alex as she hung up the phone. "Who was that?" 

"Mr. Calaway. He wants me to do him a favor. We're gonna be hanging out with his daughter at the movies. She apparently just moved here. Don't know where from, but she must be nervous about being here."

Jon hummed in agreement. He'd hate having just moved him from Whereville. No friends, no support and no street cred of any kind. That was a scary thought. "Where are we meeting her?" He took the drink and gummy worms from her, placing them in the basket he was carrying, right with his bottle of soda and couple candy bars. 

"At the theater. I have no idea what she looks like, but we'll just have to search for the lost looking chick who we've never seen around the city."

Jon nodded, taking a couple steps backwards, moving to where Alex had been when she got her call. He picked up a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos. "You sure you don't want some of these?" He knew she loved them. 

"Nah. I'm going prom dress shopping tomorrow, and if I want to actually fit into anything, I've gotta cut down. Don't wanna get any big- "

"Fuck it. I don't care. I'll have more of you to grab on the dance floor, baby." He wiggled his eyebrows, giving her a goofy grin. 

Alex clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from both telling Jon to quit playing and also to hold in the surprised laugh. She still wasn't used to the flirting, and was always shocked whenever she heard him say something ridiculous like that, but she enjoyed it nonetheless. 

"You can split with Big Evil's daughter if you're really so worried about it...even though I don't get why." Jon placed the chips in the basket, shuffling back over to Alex. He slung his arm around her and together they searched for the others. 

They found Colby sitting on the carpeted floor by a rack of magazines, reading a gossip magazine with a bored expression. When the brown-eyed boy looked up, he smiled. " _Finally!_ I was waiting forever! I resorted to reading this garbage to get through the _hours_ I spent waiting."

"Hours?" Alex asked, snatching the magazine from him. She placed it back on the display with the other copies, knowing Colby would have just left it on the floor if she hadn't. "We were split up for just ten minutes."

"Same thing."

"Guys," Joe said, coming up to the group, "I've been waiting for _weeks_ for y'all to get your shit. Any longer, and I would have thrown your funerals."

Both Jon and Alex scowled at the look Colby gave them. 

The quartet went up to the register, each one being careful not to make eye contact with the giant of a man whose name tag only had the words, " _Black Sheep,_ " on it. Of all the people who worked in the store, this guy was the biggest and most intimidating. Not even the owner, a man who would sit outside the store on his rocking chair while giving studying gazes at passing citizens, was as creepy. 

After silently transferring their snacks from the plastic store bags and to their backpacks, the crew walked to the theater. 

"So, there's gonna be a girl coming along with us," Alex notified Joe and Colby. "She's Mr. Calaway's daughter who just moved here."

Instead of looking annoyed, the pair took the news just like Jon did. They nodded at her as if it were normal for them to just add more people to their group without warning, which was wrong considering how they all became best friends in the matter of a few hours together. 

"Hey, since she's coming, can I invite my cousin and his girl? Matter of fact, I wanna invite Jimmy's twin, too," Joe said, already pulling his phone out. He gave Alex a questioning look, and when she nodded her head, he dialed his cousin's number. 

Colby rolled his eyes. "If he's inviting people, so am I. Daniel and Brie would love to see the movie we're going to."

"Yeah, just don't let Brie invite her crazy sister," Jon warned, knowing that if Nikki was invited, that meant she'd invite John Cena, and then all of Mizanin's gang would be sitting around them. The idea of putting Alex in danger like that bother the hell out of him. 

Colby rolled his eyes again. "I'm not stupid," he hissed, his phone pressed to his ear. 

Alex and Jon both took on the task of getting the other two to the theater without getting hit by a car as they walked and talked on their phones. It was a harder challenge than one would think. Joe had a habit of stopping and standing still, even if in the middle of the street, while on the phone. Colby would turn around and start pacing back and forth, ignoring people, bikers and cars. 

Alex was pretty sure she had a few grey hairs once they finally arrived. Jon rubbed her back, giving her a sympathetic look. She smiled up at him, wrapping her arms around his torso for a moment before pulling away. She missed the proud grin that stretched across his face as she looked around for this Raya girl. 

It wasn't until she spotted a strange pale girl with long black hair and dark eye makeup where she was sure she found her. "H-Hey!" Alex called, a little shy now that she was faced with the prospect of meeting a new person. 

Saraya turned around, spotting a tall girl with dark brown skin and three boys. Her father's explanation of their appearances were spot on. The girl did look like a fancy cat surrounded by junkyard dogs. 

She walked over to them. "Alex, right?" she asked, just to be sure. When she got a nod in return, Saraya grinned. "Hello, I'm Saraya - um, you can call me Raya. It's nice to meet you all." She held out a hand to shake theirs. 

The group all introduced themselves, but the one named Jon refrained from shaking her hand. She brushed it off, thinking that maybe he just didn't like touching people. It was understandable. 

"Um, so what movie are we seeing?" Saraya asked, determined to make this setup feel the least like a play date arranged for her. 

" _Captain America: Civil War._ Hope you like superheroes," Colby answered. 

"It's got action, so I'd love it even if I hated superhero movies." 

Alex laughed. "I know that's right... Anyway, uh, we're gonna be watching the movie with a couple other people, is that okay?"

Saraya nodded. If they had more friends they were inviting, that gave her a better chance of connecting with people. She was social and outgoing, so this was going to be fun. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

Half an hour later, the group found themselves being kicked out of the theater. 

"Damn it, Jon, I told you to stop throwing chips at the man in front of us!" Alex yelled, snatching the bag that was still in Jon's hand as he laughed. "He was gonna rip our heads off!"

Daniel Bryan was picking bits of popcorn out of Brie's hair. "Maybe next time we should watch a movie at someone's house instead."

With a look of disgust, Brie wiped at the Coca Cola stain on her shirt. "Aw, man, Bryan! This will never come out. Nikki is going to freak out when she sees I ruined her shirt."

Colby held onto Joe's shoulder as he took off his shoe. "Raya, how the hell did you get the Milky Way Jon gave you into my _shoe?_ "

"I dropped it when I saw Sebastian Stan on screen as Bucky. I'm sorry, but he is distracting."

Alex laughed, wiping her popcorn butter covered fingers off with one of the napkins she got from Brie. There was no way she was fitting into any prom dresses now. She'd have to go a size up and hope she didn't get a craving for cupcakes between now and two weeks later. 

"Trinity, stop moving," Jimmy chastised as his girlfriend kept wiggling away as he tried to help her get the chip crumbs the kids behind them threw their way when they got too loud in the theater out of her shirt. "You got a bag worth of Lays in your shirt, girl."

Trinity slapped Jimmy's arm. "Shut up." She was pretty sure the sticky substance on her hand was Alex's knocked over Arizona that Jon tipped over when he jumped up to fight the guys in front of him for telling them to shut the fuck up. If it wasn't that, she was about to be sick. 

"Well, that's one place we've been banned from for the next month," Jey told the group, the only one who was clean. "I know y'all got kicked out of _Santino's,_ " he added, looking at Joe's glaring face, "So, where we headed next? It's only 6:00, and it ain't like we got school."

Saraya checked her phone. "My dad is still working. I've got a couple hours..." 

"Let's head over to Bailey and Becky's Ice Cream," Naomi suggested to the group. "I never got to finish my food before y'all so rudely started throwing shit."

The others agreed. It was one of the few placed Alex, Jon, Colby and Joe were allowed to go after a couple weeks of them raising a little hell together. 

They all split up to get into the trucks Jimmy and Jey drove there in. Alex, Jon and Saraya went with Jey while the others went with Jimmy. The entire ride, Jon kept his arm around Alex, occasionally whispering teasing words into her ear and grinning as she would give him the most innocent looks of genuine shock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My main Tumblr: swoggin-all-day.tumblr.com  
> My other Tumblr: simplesisypheantask.tumblr.com


	14. The Prom (Pt. 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jon is nervous, and that's okay. He's got Alex as his date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> http://www.polyvore.com/m/set?.embedder=4745584&.svc=copypaste-and&id=203111276

"I like this one!"

Alex cringed away from the frilly midnight blue dress her mother picked. She did not like complex dresses. The simpler or sleeker the look, the better. "Uh... I mean, um..."

"You hate it. Gotcha. Moving on..." Mrs. Kingston walked over to the next rack of dresses, seeing a beautiful pink gown that would look gorgeous on her baby girl. "This?"

"You do know sizes matter, right?" Alex knew that dress wouldn't make it past her wife hips no matter how many jumps, wiggles and prayers were done. "I need a bigger size for my..." She gestured to her chest, bottom and hips. _Thanks, Mom, for being thick. Now clothes shopping is hard for the both of us._

Mrs. Kingston gave a half-smile that showed. She knew just why her daughter was giving her such a blank look. "Right. Sorry." 

As the pair searched through the racks, another girl wandered around the dress shop, looking for her own prom dress. AJ Lee hated shopping for dresses. If she could, she'd show up to prom wearing jeans and a comfy sweater, but she knew all it would make people single her out for it. And AJ hated being pointed at, mocked and whispered about more than anything. 

"Excuse me," Alex said as she cross in front of AJ, holding a red dress close to her chest. "Sorry!" 

AJ could barely stutter out her forgiveness before Alex was hurrying away. For a moment, all AJ could do was stare after the tall girl, recognizing her face but not remembering where from. _Does she go to my comic book club? Is she a waitress at my favorite restaurant? Does she - Wait! Was that Alexandria Kingston? She's a freaking legend! She hangs out with Jon motherfucking Good!_

AJ knew what she had to do. She had to covertly follow Alexandria around to confirm or deny her suspicions. No, it wasn't stalking! 

~*~*~*~*~

"Mummy, is it just me, or is that girl over there stalking us?"

Mrs. Kingston glanced up from the rack of short, lacy dresses she thought were too grown for high school kids to wear. "Hmm? Where?"

Saraya, who tagged along on the trip to get a dress as well - how she managed to snag some tickets to Alex's prom was a mystery by the name of Mark Calaway and his intrusive, almost overbearing ass - looked around, too. "Yeah, where?"

Alex held up a dress, facing where the girl was and pretending to inspect the gaudy, rhinestone-covered material. "Over that way..." 

Looking just over the dress, Mrs. Kingston and Saraya immediately saw the short girl with dark brown hair giving peeks at them. Saraya snorted. 

"Yeah, she's following us, sweetie. I'm going to say something," Mrs. Kingston said, walking away. 

Alex nearly had a heart attack as Saraya laughed and ran her hands over . "No! Are you _crazy?_ What if she is a weird, psychotic - " 

"Excuse me. Excuse me! Girl in the jean shorts!"

AJ jumped, bumping into a mannequin. "Sorry," She apologized to it. "Wait, you're not a person." AJ rolled her eyes at it, aware she was still talking to the inanimate model. She walked away from it and faced her doom, embarrassed and unable to figure out how she was going to explain herself. 

"Have you been following us?" The tall woman with the most frightening of scowls didn't hesitate to jump right into it. AJ was equally impressed and fearful. It made her begin to nervously sweat, backing up a couple steps. Right into that damn mannequin. 

"Y-Yes."

"Why?"

"I, uh, I thought I recognized her," AJ answered, pointing at Alex. "She just looked familiar, and I wasn't sure."

Alex stepped forward, squinting her eyes softened little as she looked at AJ. "I _do_ know you. Um, you're in my Spanish class, right?"

AJ nodded, surprised that Alex knew her. Nobody ever really paid attention to her. "Yeah! I'm April Jeanette, but everyone calls me AJ." _And by everyone, I mean just my family..._

"Alexandria. _Alex._ "

"And I'm annoyed," Mrs. Kingston stated, cutting into the conversation. "We haven't found a dress, and it's getting closer and closer to prom." 

Saraya wandered over, "Gotta look cute for our prom, right, Alex?" She slung an arm around the slightly taller girl. Alex rolled her eyes, wondering how much chaos would follow Sarayah during the prom. 

AJ nodded. "Yeah, I'm searching for a dress, too. I'll let you guys - "

"Would you like to join us?" Mrs. Kingston found herself asking. She noticed that AJ looked a little out of place when talking to her daughter, and it was a look she realized Alex had before she met the boys. It was the look of a lonely kid who didn't know how to connect with anyone. 

With a bright smile, AJ exclaimed, "Yes!" She calmed down, shooting both Kingston women a shy smile. "I mean, if you want..."

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Am I wearin' this right?" Jon frowned at his reflection in the mirror, blue eyes sweeping over himself. This was his first time wearing a tuxedo, and he had no idea if he put everything on the right way. _Looks okay, I guess..._

Behind him, sitting on Jon's bed, Mr. Kingston looked up from the red corsage in his hand. His eyes had been ready to well up with tears, but Jon's question that was snarled out in frustration between his clenched teeth made him look up. He laughed. 

"Boy, you've got your tie all crooked, and your cuff links are supposed to, ya know, link your cuffs, not just hang like that!" 

Jon blushed. "Shit - I mean, _shoot!_ " He undid his tie, blushing harder. 

"It's okay, kid. I'm not mad," Mr. Kingston said, tapping his fingers against the plastic casing of the corsage, grinning. When Jon corrected his mistakes, the older man came over to him. "Now, remember this, and remember it well - " Jon began to nod his head already, " - You're gonna treat my daughter like a queen tonight, and have her home before the sun rises, okay? She better have the time of her life, or I'm gonna make you do all the chores all through the summer. By yourself. Understand?"

Jon nodded more vigorously. "Yeah, I-I gotcha." He scratched at his cheek, looking at the corsage. It was starting to sink in - he was going to the prom with Alex. He was going to prom with her, taking her out to eat a nice late dinner/very fucking early breakfast with their friends after, and a week and a half later, he would be graduating with them. 

And, most importantly, he was going to ask Alex to be his girl tonight. 

His life had changed so much. Who would have thought he'd get to do this? Who would have thought he'd be alive to do this? He sure didn't. 

"Whoa, take a deep breath," Mr. Kingston exclaimed when he noticed Jon looked ready to either pass out or vomit. "Tonight is supposed to be fun - not too much fun, 'cause I'll kill you if you touch my daughter, but enough fun for a teen. Enjoy it. It's your prom just as much as its hers!"

A little lightheaded, Jon took his advice, breathing in and out. "Okay. _Okay._ " He shook his trembling hands out a little, cracking his neck and trying to get in the zone. "Fun. I can do fun. I'm fun. I'm _very_ fun."

Mr. Kingston rolled his eyes. "Go downstairs and wait for your date then."

"I can't go alone!" Jon found himself shouting before he clapped a hand over his mouth. _Wow, could you sound like any more of a baby?_

"Um, Joe should be downstairs," Mr. Kingston quickly told the nervous boy. "He's a chaperone since he's part of the alumni. Um, Colby and Saraya are supposed to be over here in a minute, too. Alex is always late for everything, and her mother is likely going to take forever with her makeup. You won't be alone."

"Oh." Well, now he just felt like an idiot. "Um, okay."

"I'll walk you down though," the older man offered, "I've gotta make sure the limo is almost here to pick you all up."

"Thanks." 

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Breathe, love!" Saraya had to whisper to Jon as he stared at Alex. "You're turning blue!"

"She's so fuckin' pretty," he breathed, eyes raking over the gorgeous dress that emphasized the wide hips and ample bosom of Alex. Jon's eyes started to sting. He remembered that, as a human being, he had to blink. It was going to be a long night. "How far is Vegas?"

The rest of the teens standing around him - "The Theater Thugs" they decided to call themselves as an inside joke - laughed. Jon didn't know why. He was asking a serious question. 

"Planning on eloping?" Colby asked him, his hands on Joe's tie, fixing it even though it wasn't crooked. Joe had his arms around Colby, holding his boyfriend close.

Jon smiled. "Hell, yeah." 

Everyone laughed again. 

AJ, a sweet but a little eccentric girl who they met the day after Alex went dress shopping, came in through the unlocked front door. "I totally just tripped on those front steps as soon as I said your dad, Raya. _Shit_ , he's a freakin' giant!"

"Wait until you meet my uncle, baby." Raya smirked at AJ as the girl bounced over to her side, linking their arms together. 

"If he greets me with, "Fee-fi-fo-fum," I am running far, far away and never turning back."

Jon ignored their banter, offering Alex his arm as she walked, no, _glided_ over to his side. "Mmm, Dr. Lexi, you're making go into cardiac arrest... Save me!"

Alex chuckled, bashful. "Patient Good, I'm going to prescribe you with teenage inhibition that you must have during 8:00PM and 12:00AM." She moved closer to him, untangling their arms to wrap hers around his waist as she looked up into his eyes. "Now, be a good patient and do as I say."

"Wouldn't dream of disobeying..." _Unless there was a fun little punishment if I did._ He growled a little at the delicious thought, his hands dropping lower on Alex's back. 

" _Hey!_ "

The pair jumped, putting some distance between themselves. Alex avoided her mother's gaze, aware that all she would see was a sappy, annoying grin on her face. 

"Time for pictures!" Mrs. Kingston called, making all the kids group together for a couple snaps, then having them pair off or go solo for some more shots. "You guys are so cute... So cute. Oh, my god."

"Uh-oh," Alex gasped. "Here it comes. _Dad!_ " 

Mr. Kingston swung open the front door, his cellphone pressed to his ear. His eyebrows rose as he surveyed the room. "What's u - Honey?" He gave his wife a frightened look, noting how she had her hands clasped tightly around the phone in her hands. "Are you about to cry?"

"Yes!" 

"Okay, kids, y'all would wanna file out now and just...uh, wait on the lawn. This night is making her a little sentimental." 

It didn't take much more encouragement to get the teens outside and away from an emotional Mrs. Kingston. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

"I hate this neighborhood."

Paul Levesque rolled his eyes as his wife muttered bitterly under her breath. She was wearing dark sunglasses even though the sun was quickly setting and it would be dark in a little less than two hours. "Be nice for once, Steph. These homes are lovely, and the people who own them are - "

"Low-class trash! I can't believe we are back after those thugs Colby befriended got him kicked out of _Hart Theaters_ \- Do you know how that makes me look?"

"Like a woman who values the wrong things," Patty Anoa'i commented, walking by the couple as she saw her son emerge from the house with the rest of his friends. He looked so handsome in his black suit with a yellow tie and pocket square. And Colby also looked nice in his dark blue suit and grey tie! They were just the most adorable couple she ever saw! "Boys, come here so I can take pictures!"

Joe blushed and wished that his father hadn't bought his mother a new digital camera. From getting fitted for his suit, up to this very moment, Joe was blinded by the constant flashing. It was a wonder how he managed to get down the steps and amble his way over to his mother without busting his ass. 

"Your mom is so sweet," Colby whispered to Joe in between the standard pre-prom shots. "Way better than mine."

With a chuckle, Joe shook his head humbly, knowing his mother was a little overbearing, but also a gift to have in his life. "Remember when we thought Mrs. Kingston was, like, the female Lucifer, and Big Evil was a fuckin' psycho murderer? Time changes people and their views. It's amazing."

Colby rolled his eyes, pecking Joe's cheek for being a sweetheart. "I wish my mom would get the hint."

"I do, too," Joe admitted, laughing as Colby made a disgusted face at the sight of his mother shooting them both an evil glare. "Oh, wow, you look like her twin!" 

A few feet away, AJ hopped on Saraya's back, holding up a peace sign. "Smile, Raya! The camera loves us!" she exclaimed, grinning widely. 

Saraya laughed hysterically, unable to straighten her face out as her uncle Glenn and her father took photos of them. "Get offa me! You're going to make us both fall!"

"The paparazzi loves me!" AJ crowed, jumping off of Saraya before she grabbed her around the waist and squeezed. "This is going to be the best night ever! I'm so glad you're my date." The pair became fast friends, and even faster girlfriends. Mark was pretty sure that if given the chance, they'd burn down the city for one another in a display of affection. 

Mark glanced at his brother, who now held up a lighter and was declaring they set something on fire to make sure the night was memorable even if their prom sucked. 

The apple didn't fall far from the crazy tree. 

"Brie, get in the damn car!" Nikki yelled, leaning out the window of John Cena's Range Rover. "I'm going to make John leave you and your mountain man boyfriend with these freakin' - " Nikki paused, aware of all the parents on the front lawn of the Kingston residence. " _Hurry up!_ " 

Daniel Bryan sighed. His girlfriend's sister was a menace to society, and he wasn't going to let her spoil what was an important night for Brie. "Fine, go without us!" he called to the other twin, waving the cheerleader and wrestling team captain away. "We'll ride with the freakin' awesome people while you drive in that disgusting gas guzzler with your meathead boyfriend!"

Daniel hated unnecessary trucks like the one Cena rolled up in being owned by a person who didn't need it. They really killed the environment. 

Brie couldn't help but smile at Daniel. "Thank you," she whispered to him, "I didn't want to listen to Nikki whine anymore about me wearing a white dress when she is wearing red."

"Jimmy, stop messing with your tie! You're gonna choke yourself, and I'm going to have to take pictures alone!" Trinity scolded, grabbing Jimmy's hands as he reached up to mess with his tie once more. 

Unable to be mad, Jimmy laughed at Trinity's worried expression before kissing her forehead. "Babe, you can just take pictures with Jey then. It'll be a win-win for both of y'all, since he's lookin' all sad and lonely over there." He gestured with a jerk of his chin toward where Jey stood beside Jon and Alex, taking selfies with the pair. "Third-wheeling already..."

"I want to take a picture with the twin I'm in love with, not his brother. It ain't the same."

"Awwww, my baby loves me," Jimmy practically sang, picking his girlfriend up and spinning around with her in his arms. "Keep it up, and your ass is gonna get a ring from me!"

"That's the intention! Now, put me down before you mess up my hair or my dress!" 

Alex couldn't help herself as she looked at the lawn that held all of her new friends. Who would have thought that in just a few months time, she would be so lucky to be a part of this? She always figured she be lonely and distant, unable to find anyone who got her the way these guys did. Just a few years ago, she was sure she'd never find even one person she would she intimate details of her life with, but then Jon came around and bam! Suddenly, she found herself opening up and trusting people. 

With a little help from Joe and Colby, Jon managed to tear down her walls and help her step out of her comfort zone. She experienced genuine bonds with those guys, and with Jon - wow, with Jon she was pretty sure she was finding out about love. Not the familial love where she placed Joe and Colby (those boys proclaimed themselves her, "big bad brothers of badassery," more times than she could count). The love she had for Jon was nearly the same as what she knew her mother had for her father. 

Alex was in love with Jon. 

When her parents came out of the house to partake in the snapping of more photos, Alex kept by Jon's side, holding his hand or wrapping her arms around him. 

He seemed to gravitate toward her naturally, keeping just as close and always turning to her to say things like, "You look so pretty, Doc," or, "I'm gonna make you have the night of your life, Lexi. Ain't nothing gonna stop us." His words were so sweet and passionate, promises that he would create the best night he could for her. 

She believed him with an ease that no longer shocked him. He always kept his word. The reason he was even here with her tonight was because he promised to see her again at school during a time that seemed to long ago. 

_If I could freeze this moment, right here, and stay in it forever, I would._ Alex knew she must have looked ridiculous with the giant smile on her face, but who cares? This was going to be her magical night, and no one was going to spoil it. Not Mike Mizanin, Randy Orton, Nikki Bella or John Cena. None of them could touch her as long as she was floating so high up on Cloud 9. 

The limo pulled up to the house and everyone seemed to immediately lock eyes on it, smiling at the long, white vehicle. 

The driver stepped out and tipped his cowboy hat to them. "Howdy, I'm John Layfield. I'll be your chauffer this evenin'." 

Saraya threw her head back and laughed, seeing her cowboy chauffer again for the second time in a month. "This city can't possibly be _that_ small!"


	15. The Prom (Pt. 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fluffy & sexy, two words you can use to describe this chapter and Dean Ambrose's hair. Lol.

"Whoa..." Alex gasped, looking around at the beautifully decorated hall. "So, they got money for _this_ , but not new textbooks?"

Jon laughed as he walked her over to the table where they had to sign in. "Chill, Lexi. That ain't a problem no more. We're fuckin' graduatin' in no time. Let next year's seniors worry about being screwed over."

Slowly, Alex nodded in agreement. _Yeah, screw 'em._ She deserved a perfect night, even if it was at their expense. The senior class had to raise all this money just for this ballroom, the decorations, the DJ and the photographers. The lowerclassmen would just have to suffer like they did. 

Bouncing forward, AJ got in front of the group. "Let's go find a table, guys! Prom night, _woo-woo-woo!_ "

" _You know it!_ " called a kid named Zack that Jon recognized from his gym class. He fist-pumped, walking along with a blonde girl who transfered in their sophomore year from Australia, and a fake-blond boy who was in a band with some kid named Chris Jericho. Jon heard the songs the two put on SoundCloud after the whole school caught word of them making music together, and he had to laugh at the pure 80s vibe he got from their song, " _I'm Here to Break the Walls._ " 

Some kids just couldn't get out of the past, whether they were born in the time they loved or not. 

The group found a table for themselves after signing in, close enough to be able to reach the dancefloor, but also close to one of the exits so they didn't have to squeeze through tables to get to the bathrooms. For a couple minutes, all they did was look around in awe, pointing to people because of their either terrible or wonderful taste in fashion, and talking a little trash.

And then their principal got up on the mic, disturbing their moment. "Hello, seniors! Welcome to your glorious, stupendous, extraordinary - "

The DJ, some guy with long and curly hair, a lollipop sticking out of his mouth and loads of eye makeup, leaned into the mic at his booth. "We don't have all night! Now, don't be a lemon, be a rosebud and _get this party started!_ "

Principal McMahon glared at the DJ until the DJ leaned back, his hands raised defensively in front of him. A couple people laughed, hiding their smiles behind their hands. Most were pretty sure that if their principal caught them having a laugh at his expense, he'd keep them from graduating. "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted," Principal McMahon continued, "welcome to your prom night!"

Cheers filled the ballroom, a couple guys whistling and a few girls hollering. Some of the cheerleaders started up the familiar school chant, " _We'll lay the smackdown on punks who can't get down!_ " that they cheered every sports game to get the teams and the audience hyped up. The head cheerleader, Alexa Bliss, even got up on a chair to lead them in the chant. 

"All right, all right!" Principal McMahon interrupted, raising a hand to get everyone to quiet down. If anything, the chanting just got louder. And louder. And louder. Alex found herself, the quiet and compliant girl, joining in with her friends, banging her hands on the table with them. 

" _I SAID SHUT UP!_ " McMahon finally shouted, and everyone knew, even with the dim colored lights, his eyes must have been bulging out along with veins on his neck. 

That was the typical McMahon hissy fit for ya. 

"He's so sweet to us," Brie muttered sarcastically. 

Principal McMahon calmed down, straightening his tie. "As I was saying... class, please be sure to sign in, receive your commemorative glass cups with your class year on it, and take your couples and friendship photos. Be sure to get the most you can out of the night. Enjoy the food that is coming out now." Servers began wheeling in long tables filled with covered platters that had signs in front of each platter to tell what it was. "And, lastly, remember to have fun!"

Everyone applauded before hopping out of their seats in a race to get the first plate. There was a line for either side of the food tables, allowing for the process to go by much quicker as people got their food. 

"Fuck, this is a rich bastard's buffet!" Jon whispered in Alex's ear from behind her in line. He smirked at the loud laugh that escaped her lips. "You're so cute, baby."

Alex's jaw dropped at the term of endearment. "Boy, quit playin'!"

"I'm not playin'," Jon told her, licking his lips. He could feel himself getting turned on by the sway of her hips as she walked in front of him, and now was not the time for that. "Ain't no way I could fake what I feel for you."

He was lucky she managed to somehow maintain her balance, or else the kid in front of her would have been covered in bow tie pasta, garden salad and a bit of chicken parmesean. 

Alex slapped Jon's arm. " _Jon!_ " _He can't just say things like that! That's not fair!_

" _Alex!_ " He smiled wider, if that was possible. "What?" 

_Oh, he knows what._ "You can't just say things like that, dude. You - I - We are just - "

"Just what? Just friends?" Jon nudged Alex gently out of line, pulling her over to their empty table. "You think I wanna just be _just friends_ with you forever?"

She didn't know what to say. Their night only just began and, already, she was flustered beyond belief. "What d- oh, my god - Jon, are you...?" She inclined her head toward him, eyes narrowing as if trying to figure him out. "Jon, are you saying what I think you are?"

He laughed. Damn, she's the cutest person in the world. "Of course I am. You know I like you - and I'm pretty sure you like me. Why shouldn't we get together since we're so likeable?" 

He was right. They were likeable, and that was the only reason she excused his terrible line.

Jon reached his hands out and cradled her face between them, studying every detail of her gorgeous face. "You know, when I first saw you, I felt like, like you were some fuckin' amazing person who was so goddamn pure, 'n so untouchable that I had to get away and _stay away_. But, you know I'm stubborn - I was gonna come back 'cause I liked trouble. I like you. _I love you._ "

Jon didn't know what to think as he looked at the range of emotions that flickered across Alex's face. He was scared, yeah, 'cause who wouldn't be after admitting they had a huge love for the girl of their dreams? Is that my heart? Is my heart really beatin' that damn fast?

Alex pulled in a shaky breath. She could feel the hands that tenderly held her face as they shook ever so slightly. She wanted to giggle and tell him she felt just as nervous, and her stomach felt like it had butterflies in it, but anyone with eyes could see that. 

It would have been much harder for her to speak her next words if he hadn't locked eyes with her. The whole room full of people seemed to turn into just the two of them. She was wrapped up in the scent of his colonge, the blue of his eyes and the way his rough hands felt against her soft cheeks. 

"I-I love you, too." _Damn, I sounded fake._ "I love you, Jon - I have for a long time, I think. You're... I don't think you understand just how _amazing_ you are. You're passionate, sweet and you always look out for me. I love you, J- _mmph!"_

He was kissing her, and it was delightful. The way his soft lips moved against hers, his teeth tugging at her bottom lip and his tongue flicking gently against hers, it was enough to make her gasp and moan into his mouth. She leaned into the kiss, accepting it with eagerness and a hint of desperation for it to never end. 

"Wow, _gross._ We leave you two alone for a couple seconds, and you're eating each other's faces!" Daniel joked as the rest of their friends seemed to all come back to the table at once. 

Jon was slow to part from Alex, too wrapped up in everything about her, but he did so only to tell Daniel, "Y'all can fuck off. We're kinda busy right now, if ya didn't notice." 

His friends laughed as if he were joking. He wasn't. 

"So, are y'all together?" Joe asked, grinning. He looked like he just heard the best gossip of his life. Then again, ever since he danced with Colby during the song _My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark_ by Fall Out Boy, he looked like that. "Boyfriend-girlfriend? Going steady? Do you "like-like" each other?"

Alex rolled her eyes. "Is Colby your boyfriend yet?"

The two-toned boy choked on the water he was sipping, a blushing coming onto his tanned face. They hadn't made it official, or even told anyone they were exclusive, but they'd both been thinking of each other as their boyfriend. Colby sputtered for a response, but Joe was as smooth as ever. 

"Colby, wanna be my boyfriend?"

Once again, everyone was laughing at completely serious words. Joe ignored them, his eyes trained on Colby, who seemed five seconds away from passing out at the attention all on him in a way he wasn't used to. But, like a true champ, Colby didn't shy away from the direct question, answering truthfully. 

"S-Sure." Colby shrugged, hoping to seem nonchalant. He only succeeded in showing his nervousness through the jerky motion. "I mean, you're already my date...and we've been on a couple dates together, so why not take it up a notch?"

Joe leaned back in his chair, a satisfied look on his face. "Awesome." He looked at Alex. "Nut up or shut up."

"Jon, wanna be my boyfriend?"

"Hell, yeah."

Alex did her best to keep from squealing with glee. She wanted to look composed so that Joe wouldn't give her shit for being so embarrassingly excited. "Well, looks like I'm your girlfriend. You're stuck with me now."

"Y'all are weird," Trinity mumbled, shaking her head as she cut into her chicken. "Startin' relationships just to one-up each other. This is why y'all get kicked out of public places. Y'all ain't got no chill with other people, and even less with each other."

Jon slung his arm over the back of Alex's chair. "Good things come from our spontaneity." He gestured to Alex and then himself. "Exhibit A."

~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~

" _This is how we do it, it's Friday night, and I feel all right!_ " Alex sang along with Jon and they rocked with the crowd on the dancefloor. The DJ started off the night with pop jams, and was now going through all the old school classics. Alex had fun going through the dance moves of the nineties with him, laughing at his version of what was the Cabbage Patch. 

" _The party's here on the westside, so I reach for my 40, and I turn it up!_ " Jon sang back, pulling Alex close, her back to his chest. The beat of the song flowed through them, syncing their movements perfectly. If her hand rose in the air, his own would come up, too. If her hips moved back, his moved forward. Jon couldn't help himself as his lips suddenly found themselves on her neck, nipping and kissing at the brown skin there. 

Alex laced her fingers with his, her head falling back in his shoulder, allowing him better access. It felt amazing, being there in that moment with him, so intimate and intense. She loved it. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Those words couldn't seem to stop falling from their lips after they first said them. It was like they were under a spectacular spell, and neither wanted it to be lifted from them. 

"Gimme a kiss," Jon said as he found Alex turning in his arms to face him. He knew how needy he must have seemed, with his hands always on her and his mouth following the lead of his hands, but it didn't matter. He wanted Alex in every way. He could see them, in the future, living large and still in love - and the picture was just so damn clear in his mind that any other image where that wasn't the case, looked wrong. 

Alex pecked Jon's lips. "You're gonna have to earn more of those by taking pictures with me."

Jon jokingly looked around frantically. "Where the hell did those dudes with the cameras go?"

Together, they slipped off the dance floor, heading out into the hall. There were many of their classmates out there, taking their own selfies and group shots together for free, but a few of the others who smartly waited for the line to get shorter, were waiting for their professional photos that they would keep through the years. 

Jon walked over to the table with the forms, looking for the section that would get them keychains, wallet-sized photos and posters. He definitely wanted that poster. He wanted to hang it up in his room back at the house, so he could remember the best night of his life. "Reach into my pocket and get my money for me, will ya?"

A perfectly arched eyebrow rose slowly. "You just want to feel my hands in your pants, don't you?"

"...You aren't wrong." 

Alex slipped her hand into his pocket, laughing as Jon squirmed and shied away, as if ticklish near his upper thigh. She pulled out the money and counted out the proper amount needed to get the pictures. "Did that tickle, Patient Good?"

Jon growled lowly in his throat, almost like a dog. _A tickle ain't what I felt._ "Don't tease me, Doc."

"I'll tease you if I want, and however I like! You're the one who has been gettin' all handsy with me!" 

"Am not." 

"Then why is your hand dropping lower and lower on my back?"

Jon hadn't noticed he even had his arm around her. _When did that happen?_ "Oops. Sorry."

"Are you really?" She started to hum _Sorry_ by Beyoncé, wiggling her hips a little and bumping against him when he pretended to be embarrassed by her dancing in the hall. 

_God, her teasing is driving me insane._ "Watch it, Lexi." 

"You can watch it for me."

~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~

_I'm thinking out loud_  
Maybe we found love  
Right where we are 

The final slow dance song reverberated through the air, surrounding the couples on the floor. Alex had her arms wrapped around Jon's neck, standing on the tiptoes of her aching feet as she swayed from side to side with him. 

Jon sighed into her hair as he felt her hands play with the hair at the nape of his neck. "This was nice. I'm glad I got to be here...with you."

"I'm glad I got to be here with you, too." Alex laughed a little. "Funny how if you hadn't almost bled out in the middle of my street, none of this would have happened."

"Thank goodness for assholes, right?"

"Even the worst of people have some sort of worth in the grand scheme of things, I guess."

"Philosophical."

"I know. I should be the next big philosopher. They'll write books about me, and name some Greek play character after me. I'll be immortalized."

"You'd have to have a character, you know. Her name would be, like, Alexocles, and she'd be a physician."

"Oh, haha. You're so funny."

"You love me."

"I do."

"'Cause I'm hot like Alexocles, right?"

They both laughed. 

~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~

"Ugh, man, I can't eat or dance anymore..." Colby whined, wrapping his arms around himself. People were slowly beginning to wander out of the ballroom, and the DJ was playing tracks that would get everybody pumped as they left. "Are we still going to dinner? I'm five seconds away from falling asleep." He leaned on Joe's shoulder, his eyes drooping already. 

Alex reached around Jon and pinched Colby's cheek. "Is the poor baby tired?" she asked even though she was exhausted herself. Her feet hurt from jumping around on the dance floor, and all she wanted to do was climb into bed. 

"Yes!" Colby answered, swatting Alex's hand away. " _We all are._ "

From across the table, AJ let out a loud yawn at the same time Saraya's head dropped onto the table. "We should all probably...go..." AJ made a gesture in the air that they couldn't understand in their fatigue, "to our house-home things. The places we live..."

Saraya started to snore. 

"Cool," Jey agreed. "We meetin' up tomorrow, though? I wanna go to the park. I heard from a couple of y'all classmates that somebody is gonna be throwing a party for ya class. I think it was Finn, or maybe Sami. Could easily be Enzo or Cass."

"I heard someone wanted to do laser tag," his twin countered. "I think _that_ was Sami."

Trinity looked between the two. "I heard there was a costume party, where everyone was supposed to dress up like a teacher you hate or something. Enzo and Cass definitely planned that. Kept callin' all the teachers sawft."

"I heard sleep is good for the body, and I wanna test that theory soon," Alex cut in. "My feet hurt too much to be runnin' 'round with y'all. I'm just tryin' to get home." She paused. "Why the hell is the DJ playin' _Sweatshirt_ by Jacob Spaghetti."

"I'm pretty sure you said his last name wrong."

"Shut up, Joe."

"You know what? Fuck you, too, Alex."

"Let's get the hell outta here," Jon cut in before the two could continue going back and forth. Jon got to his feet, offering Alex his hand. She stood, wincing at the way her feet pinched in her heels. "Baby, you want me to carry you?" 

Alex locked her arms around his neck, sighing in relief. "Thank you, thank you, _thank you._ " She grinned as she felt him lift her into his arms, carrying her bridal style out of the ballroom. Behind them, the others tiredly followed behind. Alex and Jon could hear the distinct sound of AJ being cussed out by Saraya for waking the pale teen up. 

"Well, I'm sorry. Did you wanna stay here while everyone else leaves?" AJ sarcastically asked. "I'll gladly leave you here, Casper!"

"I'm not that pale! I'm just..." Saraya floundered for a comeback. "Shut up." 

"I'm never going to forget this night," Alex told Jon as they got on an escalator. She gathered up and held onto her skirt, making sure it wouldn't get caught on the moving stairs. "I had so much fun with you."

Jon smiled down at her. She was exhausted, and her makeup was a bit smudged around her eyes from the heat that got built up on the dance floor. Her neat curls were frizzy, making her hair look thicker. Her lips, after his confession to her, were swollen in a way that made him want to lean in and kiss her again. "I had fun with you, too. Since you're my girl 'n all, we can spend forever like this. Not as fancy, but just as entertainin'."

"Forever?" Alex pretended to think about it, narrowing her eyes and starring up the the ceilings hanging overhead. "I like the way you think, Patient Good."

"I like you."

"You're corny."

Jon stepped off the escalator, moving aside to wait for the others. "You're _cute._ "

" _You're_ cute."

Raya groaned loudly, all the way in the back of the line and the last to get off the escalator. "You're both corny and cute, now shut up before we all vomit on these nice marble floors in this fancy hotel!"

"Did you hear that, guys?" Jon asked, looking around. "I could have sworn it was a ghost. We better leave before the evil spirit haunts us."

"That was so funny. You should be a comedian, Jon!" Saraya retorted, "I already take you for a joke." 

"Okay, okay!" Alex cut in, feeling a sense of dejá vu. "If I can't fight Joe, you can't fight Raya. It's not fair. 'Cause Joe's rude ass deserved to get flamed, ya know." 

~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~

Alex tiptoed into the house, looking around for any sign that her parents were awake. When she saw nothing but darkness and heard the sounds of her father's snoring that could wake the dead, Alex pulled Jon inside. 

During the long ride home, she and Jon dozed off in the limo, only to wake up to Jon and Colby rudely shaking them awake. Now, they had enough energy to feel too wired up to fall asleep. It was about 2:00AM now, but it felt like it was 8:00PM to their teen bodies. 

"I'm going to change out of my dress, take a quick shower and take off this makeup. I'll meet up with you in about an hour, okay?"

"Cool. I'mma do the same - minus taking off any makeup. I've just got these naturally pretty eyes - " He smiled at Alex as she clapped a hand over her mouth to muffle her laugh. "See ya in the living room in an hour, baby."

~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~

"Stop hoggin' the popcorn, Dr. Lexi!"

"You quit hoggin' the remote! I refuse to watch _Mr. Nanny,_ again! I can't stand Hulk Hogan! I want to watch _The Rundown._ That movie is funny!"

Jon held the remote out of Alex's reach. "I'll turn the channel back to _The Rundown_ if you share the popcorn."

"Deal." Alex lifted the bowl, holding it out for Jon to get a handful. He did, and she positioned herself so that she was in his lap, laying her head on his chest so she could hear the thump of his heart. "Now, turn the channel before I dump this bowl on your head."

"You're just the sweetest girlfriend, ya know." He brought both arms around her, handing her the remote so she could change the channel herself. He waited until she flicked to the movie she wanted before grabbing her hands and tangling his fingers in hers. He liked this. Having her close felt good. It felt right.

"Exactly! I'm glad you've noticed. You've been blessed with me. _Forever._ " She knew she must have had the widest grin on her face ever, but she couldn't help it. She was happier than ever. This was _Jon_ she was with, fighting over silly things and enjoying herself while doing it. Things were going her way for once. 

"Yeah, _forever._ I like that." _This is home. She's my home._ Jon was still unsure how he got so lucky, but he wasn't going to question it. Alex was here with him, and she wouldn't leave. This was forever. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is the last one. Although if I get some comments, I'll probably create a new chapter with smut for y'all.


	16. Chapter 16

" _Jonathan Good..._ "

A gigantic group of people in the stands of the arena roared proudly, clapping their hands, stomping their feet and holding up signs. 

Jon stepped onto the stage, his hands shaking nervously - when was the last time that happened? - as he reached out with his right hand to shake the principal's and grabbed his diploma. He went down the line of alumnae and school administrators, shaking their hands and saying thank you to them all even though he didn't know half of these people and the other half were people who told him he wouldn't be anything in life.

When he got off the stage, he paused to take a professional photo by himself with his diploma, and then proceeded to go back to his seat. 

Jon was a graduate.

Jon looked around, and his noticed instantly that the group of kids with last names from _I-M_ were missing. He spotted Alex in the line of graduating students by the stage. She was facing the wrong way, making faces at Colby, AJ and Trinity as they waited to cross the stage. 

She looked gorgeous in her all-white robe, with her hair neatly pinned up in curls. He knew that underneath her robe was a backless black and white sundress that hugged the curves of her body he wanted his hands all over. Even from his seat, he could see her shaking out her hands and giving nervous smiles to everyone.

Alex was about to graduate. 

From somewhere in the stands, the distinct yell of, "HI, TRIN! HI, ALEX! HI, EVERYONE! WE LOVE YOU!" was heard. Jon laughed, spotting Jimmy and Jey jumping up and down, holding signs for the two. Joe was holding the sign for Colby, looking like he was going to die from the embarrassment his cousins were giving him. 

Saraya, sitting a row behind them with her father and uncle, held up a sign, too. " _I DON'T UNDERSTAND AMERICAN EDUCATION, BUT GOOD JOB!_ " it said in huge, blocky letters. The sign was an array of colors, obviously having been redesigned by the Fatu twins, with swirls, hand prints and - were those ribbons?

They all were graduates.

" _Tyson Kidd..._ "

Jon focused back on the stage. Alex was going to be called next! _C'mon, c'mon..._ He was practically on the edge of his seat.

" _Alexandria Kingston..._ "

Another roar filled the arena by the crowd that cheered on Jon. This time, Jon was able to cheer, too. He hopped on his feet and clapped his hands enthusiastically. "That's my baby! FUCK IT UP, GIRL! _I LOVE YOU!_ " 

"MAN, SHUT UP! WE ALREADY _KNOW_ YOU LOVE HER!" Jimmy yelled. 

"EVERYBODY 'N THEY GRANDMA KNOWS YOU LOVE HER!" Jey added. 

Jon flipped them off, too proud to care about being embarrassed. He was over-excited, and he knew that, but it was just too damn hard to contain his feelings when all he wanted to do was run up on the stage and wrap Alex up in his arms. They did it! They made it! 

They graduated! 

Alex was making her way down the aisle, headed back to her seat as a new graduate, but she caught Jon's eye. "We did it, Jon!" She held up her diploma with pride in her eyes. No matter how proud Jon was of her, Alex was undoubtedly even more proud of herself. It took years of hard work and stress to get where she got, and she achieved one of the many milestones toward her success. " _We did this!_ " she cried, hugging the diploma to her body.

"Was there ever _any_ doubt we couldn't do it?" he asked cockily, even though he knew the answer to that was yes. Alex, as the wonderful girlfriend she was, just smirked in response, her eyes telling him what he was thinking. "I'm proud of you, baby."

Alex knew her cheeks would hurt by the end of the day from smiling so wide. "Babe, we are _graduates!_ " Alex walked to the row of seats behind Jon's sitting in her seat that was three down from him. She ignored the kids to her right, ironically the ones who sat next to her in math class, and continued to talk to Jon. "We're going to Joe's for the graduation party, and tomorrow, I've gotta take y'all down to _Woods & Langston. _ They wanna have a party for me down there, too, and invited y'all."

"We are gonna have a shitload of grilled food in the fridge. Eatin' good for days."

"I know! Isn't that awe- Oh, shit! YOU GO, AJ! THAT'S MY FRIEND!" Alex was standing again, clapping her hands as she saw AJ skip across the stage, paying no mind to the fake teachers and alumnae that had the nerve to think about shaking her hand. "Oh, god, she's lucky she got that diploma first. They wouldn't have given it to her after that."

Jon got up again too, laughing. "CRAZY LUNATICS FOR LIFE!" He was a little jealous he hadn't thought of brushing off the people on stage. Looking back at Alex, he told her, "I aspire to be that damn savage."

"You'd have to master the ways of AJ, and I don't think many can pull that off."

~◇~◇~◇~◇~◇~

"Congratulations, Class of 2016!"

Caps were thrown into the air, best friends high-fived and many people found themselves in teary embraces. This was it. This was the end. The school year was over _high school was over,_ and they were all going to go their separate ways. 

Jon found himself walking out of the arena, chanting as he did during prom, his arm around Alex and his friends surrounding them. Reality altered in that moment, and it felt like he was having an out-of-body experience. The sounds dulled, but the people who mattered most to him only got more vivid. 

Lacing her fingers with the hand that was attached to the arm around her, Alex stuck out the most. She was beaming, her skin practically glowing as she navigated through the crowd with Jon. He felt Colby latch onto the back of his robe, and he knew that behind him, all of his friends were trying to link together so they wouldn't get separated. They poured into the streets, coming face-to-face with their families and friends. 

"We made it!" Alex cheered once she pulled them over their parents and friends waiting on them. " _Class of 2016!_ "

"Sweetheart, I'm so proud of you!" Mrs. Kingston immediately said, pulling her daughter into her arms. Mrs. Kingston, although notoriously known for looking well put together at all times, had smudged eye makeup from crying. "My baby graduated!"

Jon smirked at the sight even though his chest ached for that kind of love. He wished his mother cared about him as much as Mrs. Kingston cared about Alex. Hell, he wished he had a father that cared, too. Alex had the full package. 

It startled Jon into silence when Mr. Kingston pulled him into a hug, too, and told him, "You did good, son." Like he knew that was exactly what he wanted to hear. Like he knew that was what Jon _needed_ to hear. 

There was definitely no way, not in this lifetime, never ever any chance that Jon let out a small sob and croaked, "Thank you," hugging the older man fiercely.

"You're going to do great things, Jon," Mr. Kingston told him. "Don't let anyone tell you otherwise." He let go, smiling at Jon and patting his shoulder. "You still wanna do that boxing thing?"

Jon nodded. He wanted to be a fighter of some kind since he was a kid, and he wanted to have his name in lights, people cheering him on. "Of course I do!"

"Mark told me that if you really want it, he's gonna train you. He'll let you use his gym, teach you moves he knows from his wrestling days, and get you connections with the proper people. He found out about it during the ceremony from Saraya, who was talking about how you, Joe and Colby wanted to be fighters. Mark figured that since Raya and Alex became good friends, he'd do you all a favor. Any of you that are interested and serious about it, he's willing to take the time to work with you."

He didn't know what to say. After everything the Kingston family has already done for him, they were going to do this, too? _Holy shit!_ "Y-Yes! Yes! Oh, my fuc- fudging god. Thank you!" Jon embraced Mr. Kingston one more time, his sudden buzz of enthusiasm catching the attention of everyone else. 

"What's going on?" Joe asked, curious. He was holding gold and white balloons, and passed them off to Colby, who smiled at them. 

"I - Boxing - We get t-to..." Jon gestured to Mr. Kingston, unable to form a proper sentence anymore as he realized he could really do this. This was another opportunity for him, and he was going to seize it. He could give Alex the world if he became successful. 

Mr. Kingston gathered the guys together. Alex quirked an eyebrow curiously at her crowd of friends, wondering what was up. When her father announced the news, with Mark letting his rules about their training be known, her jaw dropped. 

_Whoa, when did I become friends with so many people that liked to get punched in the face?_

"That's sweet," Brie said, having come over to give Alex a hug and thank her for letting her escape Nikki's madness with her. "I'm not so into the whole boxing, MMA thing. I'm more into fitness modeling - But, Daniel loves this type of thing. You think you can put in a good word for him?"

Alex laughed. "Look, I think Jon already is..."

And that was true. Jon was pointing out Daniel in the crowd, speaking to Mark with determination in his eyes. Alex knew that look. It was the same look he got when he left his house for the final time, and the same look he had when he told her, " _I'll see you at school,_ " when he left her house after she bandaged him up and fed him. 

Alex knew that look could be both very good and very bad. For Daniel, he was lucky. Jon was determined to help out a friend, and he wouldn't take no for an answer. 

"I love him."

"Ugh," Brie scoffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder like her sister often did. Unlike her sister, her smile afterward was sincere, "Didn't you hear the twins? Everyone knows you two love each other."

Alex laughed, nodding. "Everybody 'n they grandma."

~◇~◇~◇~◇~◇~

" _Introducing first: fighting out of the red corner, this man is a Freestyle fighter. He stands at 6-feet-4-inches tall, weighing in at 225 pounds. He holds a professional mixed martial arts record of 53 wins and 0 losses, with 25 wins by knockout. He is current heavyweight champion, fighting out of Cincinnati, Ohio: Jonathan "Lunatic Fringe" Ambrose!_ "

Alex screamed along with the crowd, bouncing her toddler, Moxie Deana Ambrose, on her hip. "Look! There goes daddy!" she told the little girl, pointing at the screen. "Damn, that man looks good without a shirt on..."

The toddler giggled, clapping her chestnut colored hands and giving a smile at her mother's happy expression. "Dada!" Moxie exclaimed, recognizing her father's serious face on the screen. She reached out her little chubby arms, silently asking for the picture on the screen to pick her up. " _Dada!_ " she called again when it seemed as if he father didn't notice her. 

Little Moxie had her father's dimples, and his clear blue eyes, but she also had her mother's dark hair and full lips. She was a perfect mixture of the two, and they were proud parents. Even on nights like this, where they couldn't be together because of conflicting schedules, Alex and Jon were content to know that no matter what, there was someone supporting them. 

After eight years of being together, with Alex becoming a successfully published author, and Jon quickly fighting his way to fame, they got engaged. They were already living together in their own little apartment in Florida, so why not get married, too? They both knew they wanted to be together forever.

Not long after, Jon changed his last name, not wanting for Alex to carry the last name of the family who never nurtured him. _"I want it to be Ambrose,"_ he told her, and she didn't push for an explanation. Jon told her freely that just because he was hurt by his mother, that didn't erase the fact that she was the parent who didn't leave him, so with a name inspired by hers, he would return to her without any negative attachments her physical presence carried.

Alex was fine with it, considering she was still able to freely moan out his first name without correcting herself whenever they made love. _"Jonathan Ambrose... Sounds smooth."_

In fact, all that humping on each other during their engagement led to Alex finding out the day of their wedding that she was pregnant. Which then led to celebration sex for them during their honeymoon. 

It was an emotional day when Moxie was born. Jon held his baby girl in his arms and began to cry, words of pent up feelings towards his broken childhood pouring out of him. He missed his mother and wished she could be there to see the new generation, to see her granddaughter, but he knew that Ambrosia was toxic. 

Alex understood, and she named their daughter Moxie for Jon, Deana for Jon's father to remind them that they should always stick by their daughter no matter what, and Ambrose for the better future Jon would give his child after hell with his mother. She told Jon that one day, they would explain to their daughter that she was born out of love and named by ambition. 

Their family unit continued to grow stronger everyday since then.

Fast forward two years later, and here Alex was, cheering her man on from their lovely home in Pensacola, neighbors to the Anoa'i couple, Joe and Colby. 

"Daddy can't see you, baby. He's on TV," Alex told the adorable girl, running her fingers over the dark, messy curls of her baby's head. "We're going to Skype him later, okay?"

"Dada!" Moxie said one more time before looking at her mother. "Mummy!" The baby grabbed tiny fistfuls of Alex's shirt, looking up at her mother with a familiar sparkle of mischief in her eye. Alex knew that look. Jon looked at her with that gleam whenever he was about to start teasing her. 

"No! Don't pull on Mummy's necklace," Alex scolded as a tiny hand slowly reached up to yank at the shiny gold jewelry. She blocked the hand with her own, moving the necklace so that it was under her shirt. "Daddy bought this for Mummy's birthday, and if you break it, I'll be sad."

"Alex, shut up. I'm trying to watch the fight."

Alex turned around, looking at the two men lounging on the couch of her home. "You shut up, Joe. No one was talking to you."

"Hey, don't be mean to my husband! Only I can do that!" 

"Colby, I have no problem putting this baby down and breaking your other leg." As if in support of her mother, Moxie began clapping and giggling. Alex smiled at her baby girl. _Moxie knows her Mummy is a nerdy thug. I can't spend so long with Jon and not pick up some habits._

Joe sat up, tossing some popcorn at Alex's legs so he didn't accidentally hit Moxie. "You are so mean. You better hope Mox turns out to be like her grandfather and not you or Jon."

"You better hope I let y'all stay around for the rest of the fight," Alex shot back before turning back around. "Now, hush. You're making me miss this ass-whooping my husband is dishing out."

"He _always_ dishes out an ass-whooping." Colby reached out and rattled the crutches leaning against the couch. "He's the one who broke my fucking ankle after getting me in the damn Achilles Lock! I'm going to fuck him up the next time we are in the ring together!"

"I'll be sure to pass on the message."

"Yeah, you - Wait, no! Fuck, _I didn't mean it_ \- He's going to kill me! Alex, don't!"

"I'm not. It was fun to have you squirm though..."

Moxie started wiggling in Alex's arms, whining a little. Her blue eyes were looking toward the couch as her mother watched the TV screen. "Unco!" she started chanting, wanting for either Joe or Colby to hold her now. She was rather demanding when it came to who held her and when. Tonight was no different.

Joe stood up. "Let me hold her." Alex gave him the child, watching as Joe cradled the little girl in his arms. "I want a daughter. I think it would be nice to have a little girl."

"Aren't you guys in the process of adopting?"

"Yep," Colby answered, looking at Joe with fondness in his eyes. "We don't know what we're getting, but whoever we are matched with, it will be perfect! I just can't wait to have a little addition to the family. A cute little kid that I can raise to take over the world."

"You have issues, you know. If your kid turns into a tyrant, they can't play with Moxie."

Joe laughed. "If our kid is a tyrant, Moxie will be their second-in-command. Everything works out good for _both_ of our families."

Alex considered his words. "World domination doesn't sound that _evil..._ "

Another hour later, all three of them were yelling at the TV in outrage as the bell rang to signal another break. If Jon got just ten seconds longer, that punk he was fighting would've been knocked out!

Moxie was giggling. She was used to the noise, considering her father had a habit of getting loud at unexpected times and her mother's friends were a rowdy bunch. Moxie clapped to be a part of the noise. 

The doorbell rang. Alex got up and went to the door, checking the screen beside it that displayed live camera footage of whoever was out there. She quickly opened the door. 

"Hey, guys!" She hugged Trinity, Raya, AJ and the twins, letting them inside. "Where is DB and Brie?" she asked as she led them into the living room.

"Daniel had a weigh-in he had to do, and Brie is promoting for her barre studio with Nikki," Trinity answered. "And where is little Moxie? She's so cute - If you mess around, I'm going to take her home with me and Jimmy."

Jimmy gave her an incredulous stare, his brown eyes wide. "Girl, we got _two_ kids already. You lookin' for a third?"

"I like big families, babe. We're going to have _lots more._ " 

~◇~◇~◇~◇~◇~

The door slowly creaked open, a figure with a heavy belt on their waist stepping inside. The person ran a hand through their messy, curly brown hair, looking around. 

_They must be asleep._ Jon tiptoed his way down the hall and to the kitchen. He just won again, and he felt he deserved to cheat on his diet a little and have some popcorn. Alex always stocked up on popcorn for his fight nights. He searched through the cabinets before finding the box holding the packages. 

After getting his snack popped and into a bowl, Jon heard the sound of footsteps coming his way. He munched on the buttery goodness, waiting for Alex to appear, just as she always did when she sensed his presence in the house. 

Alex peeked into the kitchen, and her eyes immediately lit up at the sight of him. That wasn't anything new, but the fact that she still cared so much about him after ten years of being together. 

"Hey, baby." He ate another piece of popcorn before setting the bowl down on the counter. "I wake you?"

"Nope. I just managed to get Moxie down again. She was fighting sleep for a long time tonight." She wore only and oversized, light blue shirt and boy shorts. Her bare feet, as the padded lightly against the floor, had red painted nails that made her hands look rather elegant as she scratched lightly at her cheek. Her lovely face was without makeup, her hair pulled up on her head in a messy bun and showing how youthful she looked after ten years of their ups and downs. Alex hugged him tightly. "Champ, I see you brought back home the gold."

"Well, we are a family of winners, so I couldn't come back without it." He kissed her once, twice, three times before tapping the gold belt. "I look sexy in it, don't I?" He enveloped her in his arms, as he always loved to do whenever she was close. 

She laughed at the feel of the cold belt against her warm skin. "You'd look even sexier in just that, I think." Alex let her hands wander down to the drawstrings of his sweatpants, slowly pulling at one of the laces. 

"I like the way you think, Mrs. Ambrose. I really love you." He pulled her toward their bedroom. In a whisper, he reminded her, "Gotta be quiet, baby, or else you'll wake Moxie like last time." 

Alex smirked. "I love you, too, but I can't help that I am a screamer... You're the one who always rips the sheets and breaks the headboard. I think that's more important, since our sheets are expensive."

"Well, I ain't tryin' to hurt ya, baby." He paused. "At least, not if you ain't askin' me to."

"Yeah, 'cause I'm the doctor, right? Gotta patch you up?"

"Damn right." Jon lifted Alex into his arms, gently kicking their bedroom door open. His growled a little in his throat as Alex worked her hips in a way that made them brush against each other just right. "'N, ya know, I got a li'l beat up tonight, baby - "

"You beat that poor guy into the mat until his blood was everywhere!"

Jon continued on as if Alex hadn't interrupted him, " - so I was thinkin' we could play doctor tonight."

"You know what? Sounds good to me."

"Thought so, Dr. Lexi."

"How would you feel about making baby #2 tonight, as well? I think Moxie would make a good older sister."

"I _really_ like the way you think!" Jon said, making them both laugh. "Can we name this one Kofi? Or Sarona? You know, after your parents?"

"You're going to make my mom cry again, just like she did when we told her I was pregnant with Moxie."

"Aw, she'll be fine! You know she'll love havin' another grandbaby to fawn all over. And we'll having fun _making_ it..."

"No arguments here. Come here, Patient Ambrose... Dr. Lexie wants to make you feel good."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Please comment, leave kudos and/or bookmark! <3


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